Page 2 of Loving Taylor

He was the type of person who tended to blend into the background. He wasn't a hit with the girls, if anything he usually gave them the creeps. He had short blond hair with light green eyes. It wasn't like he was unattractive. I figured it was his inability to socialize well that hampered his luck with girls.

"Hey," Slater said to him, friendlier than I had been.

I don't know why I had posted an ad for another roommate but I had. It wasn't like I needed the money. I owned the house. Maybe it was because I didn't like the quiet. The silence brought thoughts and memories I didn't want to deal with. I rubbed the back of my neck but it did nothing to soothe my slight hangover.

"Next time I'm staying away from the tequila." I was convinced the last two shots of the lethal alcohol on top of what I already had drunk was the reason I was feeling like this.

Slater shook his head with a slight smile. "Famous last words."

Eric poured some coffee as Slater and I talked. Eric wasn't a big talker but even with the few conversations we'd had there was something about him that nagged at me. I just put it down to the fact that the friendship I had with Slater was deeper because of our similar backgrounds and the years we'd spent watching each other’s backs.

We only had to share a look to know what the other was thinking. He was the brother I had never had.

"Sin." The sound of my name from feminine lips brought our attention to my overnight guest, who was dressed in one of my shirts. I noticed she had touched up her makeup.

Slater raised an eyebrow in my direction. I knew exactly what he was thinking. Clingy. He left the kitchen so I could take care of our unwanted visitor. Eric followed, leaving me alone with the hot blonde who'd shared my bed.

She walked to me seductively like the fact that we had shared a night together made us something more. I felt the irritation vibrate up my spine when she slung her long blond peroxided hair over her shoulder. I'd been clear but I could tell she was already working up to more.

"I woke up alone," she whined slightly, which made me frown. The sound of it was like nails scratching against a blackboard.

"I needed coffee." I gave a one-shoulder shrug, hoping I wouldn't have to be too abrupt to drive my message home.

I didn't want to hurt her, that's why I had been brutally honest about what was on offer. One night. Nothing more.

Her hands went to my waist and she leaned closer. The sweet scent of her perfume intensified my headache. It was enough. I put my mug down on the counter before I eased her unwanted hands from me.

"Don't make this more complicated than it needs to be."

She looked slightly taken aback when I removed her hands.

"We were so good together," she whispered, looking a little surprised I was giving her the brush-off.

It annoyed me. Even though I had been clear and up front, she was still trying to make more out of this than there was.

"It was sex." My voice was firm. I couldn't allow her to get any ideas about me. My only consolation for my guilt was the fact that it would hurt her more if we dragged this out.

"Why stop when it was so good?" The hoarse voice and fluttering eyelids only annoyed me more.

"It's over." My tone was cold.

She frowned when she realized I was sticking to the rules we had originally agreed upon.

"Your loss," she said, throwing me one last lingering glare and pouting before she left in a hurry.

I didn't sleep with the same girl twice. The temporary solace I found with the physical closeness of being with a girl didn't allow me to emotionally connect with them. I knew there was something wrong with me but I didn't know how to fix it.

Girls were geared to get emotional during sex and I had learned if I kept it to one night it decreased the odds of girls wanting more. Shaking my head, I picked up my mug again.

A few minutes later Slater walked in with a grin on his face. "She was not happy."

I shrugged. "She knew the rules."

It wasn't my fault she changed her mind. I drank some of my coffee and began to feel better.

"You want some cereal?" Slater offered me.

"That cardboard crap will kill you," I said, walking over to the fridge. I needed a real breakfast.