Page 18 of Loving Taylor

"Yeah, but I think we might be late for class."

We made it into class just as the lecturer was about to start. He glared at us above his glasses on the bridge of his nose and we took our seats.

I couldn't remember what he had said the entire class. My mind had been focused on Taylor and the guy she had agreed to go out with.

The following few days I was determined to prove I didn't care what she did. She was an adult and she could do what she liked. It had nothing to do with me. She saw me talking up another girl but I had refused to allow myself to look in her direction. I was sending a clear message that I was unaffected by her.

When Friday finally arrived I was looking forward to putting any complicated thoughts of Taylor behind me and let loose. It was time to get back to the guy I had been before. I would find a beautiful willing girl to help me unwind for a few hours. Maybe that was why I was so worked up about Taylor? I’d never gone this long without sex.

The party was just starting when Slater walked in with some more beer.

"I invited that girl," he said as he put the six-pack on the counter.

"Which girl?" I asked.

"The one who came around the other day—Taylor."

I frowned. I was looking forward to a Taylor-free evening and now I was annoyed that I would have to keep up my guard again.

"Why did you do that?" I asked, unable to hide my irritation.

Slater studied me as he straightened up. "Is there a reason I shouldn't have?"

I shook my head. I wasn't getting pulled into a conversation I was far from ready to have.

"No."

While the party started to get busier I drank a beer, telling myself there was a chance she wouldn't even make it and I was getting all wound up for nothing.

Relax and have fun,I told myself. I wasn't going to let her ruin my night.

I was eating those words a few hours later. I couldn't take my eyes off her no matter how hard I tried. She was dressed in a skirt and a fitted top. She looked hot but that wasn't the reason my attention was glued to her.

She was drunk. The unsteadiness of her feet and the glowing smile on her face was a dead giveaway that she’d had a few drinks already.

Slater was dancing beside her and I wasn't happy about it at all. Once I had a girl I didn't care who had my seconds but this time was different. I saw the way other guys looked her up and down with a hunger I shared.

Damn it!My control was slipping and I didn't know how much longer I could hold on. My anger simmered beneath the surface. My night was getting worse with every minute that passed.

Why couldn't she go off and find someone nice to lose her virginity to? But she was gazing up at my best friend. Slater treated girls the same way I did. I had already decided I wasn't good enough for her and there was no way in hell he was. In some ways he was more messed up than me.

The moment he leaned closer to say something, I broke. Before I even realized what I was doing I was headed toward them. I caught her wrist and she looked at me with surprise. I focused all my anger in a glare at my best friend.

Slater lifted his hands in mock surrender, understanding that I wasn't finished with this girl.

I pulled her off the dance floor, ignoring the curious looks we were attracting. I led her up to my bedroom.

Inside my room, I let go of her as she entered and closed the door behind me, blocking out the world, leaving us alone. I faced her in time to see her wobble slightly as she sat down on the edge of my bed. Any anger that had only moments been directed at Slater was now solely focused on the tipsy girl staring up at me with confusion.