She got on top of the suitcase after I was done placing my stuff inside and sat on it. I had to maneuver around her bottom and legs to zip the super full case closed. I got two full finger brushes of the soft skin on her legs.

I looked up at her to apologize, but was instead met with her slightly parted lips as she focused on my mouth.

It stopped what I was going to say in my throat. She was beautiful. She was safe. She was a sure thing. I mean, I knew she had a crush on me. Had always known. But I had a flash forward of what a relationship between us would be like. She was too young for me, and I was too far in the real world for her to understand me.

Four years was a big age difference right now. I took a step back and nodded to show Taylor we were all packed.

Endgame was six years older than me. I almost smiled with the realization. At no point in our relationship did he or I worry about the age gap. But then again, I was the younger one and I actually cared about Taylor as a human being.

“Do you want to visit your house while we’re back?” She hadn’t mentioned any side trips even though we would both be in the same area as our families.

She tilted her head down and to her left. “No. I’m good staying with you guys.”

I wouldn’t press her on it and see how things panned out when we got there. I could take her for a ride if she needed.

Soon enough, we were leaving. I asked Tinsley and Parker to check on the apartment while we were gone. I also had a small security camera above the door in the living room. With my traveling schedule, I had to have a way to keep track of my stuff. And one of the byproducts was also watching for Endgame. When he came back. If he came back.

7

TAYLOR

I’d been driving with Austin before. When we were younger and he was carting us around to all of Teddi’s Me Party events for the charity. If I scored the front passenger seat, I was happy. I'd pretend that anyone driving by would think he and I were dating. And now, I was in that same position with us both pretending the same thing—well, in some company.

His parents and Teddi knew that Austin was pretending to keep me from dealing with Roberta and Peter. No one here would think we were really coming as a package deal. I was immediately homesick for the apartment. There he would touch me more, stand closer to me.