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Chapter Fourteen

TAYLOR

“Good news, you’re still relevant,” I announced, after entering the Madey household the next day. I wanted to have a fairly serious conversation with my friends, but because of who I was as a person, I decided to ease into the conversation through good old-fashioned roasting.

All four of them, including the baby, glanced up at me from their living room seats.

“Who?” Susie asked. She and her dad were sitting on opposite sides of the coffee table, putting together a massive jigsaw puzzle. Courtney sat on the couch with baby boy Cooper on her lap. He immediately resumed gnawing on his teething ring.

“Your father.” I nodded toward Josh, who raised his dark brows at me with a smirk. Adjusting the glasses on his nose, he chuckled and focused on the puzzle.

“I’ll bite. Why am I still relevant?” Josh asked.

“Because Nicole is into your music.” I plopped myself down in one of the ugly accent chairs, watching them continue piecing together the outer exterior of the puzzle. “And I’m pretty sure she has no idea she’s met you already.”

“At rugby?” Courtney asked. Cooper randomly chucked the teething toy across the couch, then laughed when his mom had to reach across to retrieve it for him.

“Yup.”

“You don’t think she knows who I am?” Josh asked. He frowned at a puzzle piece in his hand before Susie plucked it from his fingertips and placed it in a spot closer to her.

“No, because after your music started playing, she looked at me and apologized.”

“Why?” Susie asked.

“It was your dad’s older stuff. From before you were born,” I explained, “He screamed a lot. She assumed I didn’t like it.”

“But…you don’t like it.” Susie cocked her head at me.

“The point is,” I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees and clasping my hands together, “While I was sitting there wondering if she was playing the music because she knew I was friends with you, it became very apparent that she has no idea that I’m friends with you.

And she clocked me as someone who doesn’t like heavier music like that. ”

“You don’t,” Susie said again.

“Oh my god,” I rolled my eyes at the stinker, “Fine. It’s not my first choice. But it’s clearly Nicole’s. And she has no idea how close she is to a band she enjoys listening to.”

“So, what makes you bring this up?” Courtney asked. Cooper was wearing a bib around his neck to catch the drool, and Courtney lifted the bib to dab at his cheeks and lips.

“I thought it might be nice to, I don’t know…” I scratched the back of my head. “Maybe have you sign something for her. Formally meet her, or something.” I shrugged, lowering my hand so I could rub both of them together.

Silence greeted me after my words.

I glanced up to see Court and Josh sharing a look before they both turned to me. Susie was focused on her puzzle, and Cooper was busy gnawing on his teether.

“But, why?” Josh pressed, grinning when he finally placed a puzzle piece in the right spot.

“Why not?” I countered, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms, “It’s not like you’re busy.”

“Heaven forbid I enjoy a few years off from touring,” Josh snickered as Susie plucked his next piece from his hand and added it to her side of the puzzle again.

“But meeting Nicole and signing something for her would take two seconds out of your day,” I countered.

“But why, T?” Courtney pressed. I glanced up at her, ready to repeat myself, before she interrupted me, “I know, logically there’s no issue with this request. But why do you want to do this for Nicole?

She’s not the first person you’ve dated who likes Carbon Cut’s music.

She won’t be the last. You’ve never felt the need to show Josh off for relationship points before. So, why now?”

I opened and closed my mouth a couple of times before releasing a heavy sigh and scraping a hand down my face.

“What if…Nicole was the last person I dated?” I finally asked.

I had to give it to Court, because she didn’t get silly or teasing. She thoughtfully studied me. My words lingered thick in the air, and the more I let them soak into the moment, the safer the admission felt.

However, I stood, scraping my hands over my face as I started to pace back and forth. My friends knew me as the chronically single friend. The one who always left the party early to go hook up with someone. Hell, Beck and I bonded over never wanting to get married at Josh and Courtney’s wedding.

So, I essentially threw my closest friends a sudden curveball.

“Taylor Desmond,” Courtney’s voice was quieter. When I glanced over at her, I realized that the reason for her softer tone was that Cooper’s eyes were starting to droop with sleepiness. “Are you…really that into Nicole?”

Susie glanced up from her puzzle with a frown on her face. “Why is this bad?”

I didn’t know how to answer that, so I let Josh answer for me.

“It’s not bad at all,” Josh explained to his daughter, “But Taylor doesn’t usually settle down with one specific person.”

“…Right. They’re polyamorous,” Susie stated. This nine-year-old had a healthier understanding of the different types of romantic relationship dynamics than most adults. Then Susie looked at me, “Is Nicole?”

“I’m not polyamorous. More like, ethically non-monogamous. Never wanted to settle down—until now, that is.” I huffed a laugh at that, running my fingers through my hair, “Nicole is the settle-down type.”

“The reason this surprises your mom and me,” Josh continued to explain to Susie, “Is that in the past, when Taylor found a monogamous person that they wanted to date, they agreed that they would be monogamous until Taylor formed a crush on someone else. When that happened, Taylor would let them know, and their relationship would end. Now, Taylor is saying they just want to be with Nicole. That they don’t want to form a crush on someone else. ”

Susie nodded. “…Okay.” Then she focused back on her puzzle. Josh and Courtney struggled not to laugh at the clear dismissal. How this revelation was such a non-issue in her mind. I shrugged and plopped back down in the chair.

“So. That’s what’s new with me,” I shrugged with my words, “What’s new with—”

“When did you decide this, T?” Courtney interrupted me while gently brushing her son’s hair back away from his face. Josh gave me a quick glance before focusing back on the puzzle with his daughter.

“I don’t know if it was one specific moment, if I’m being honest,” I shrugged, before plopping down on the floor to join in on the puzzle. “My feelings for her both snuck up on me and have been very present the whole time. It’s hard to explain.”

Courtney nodded, “Do you love her?”

At that, Susie lifted her eyes to meet mine, “Ooooo.”

I smiled, before looking back at Courtney and replying with a simple, “Yes…and it’s a little terrifying. But mostly exciting.”

“Damn,” Josh whistled with a single shake of his head, “Taylor Desmond is in love. I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Wow,” I deadpanned, “Be more surprised, please.”

“Are you going to marry her?” Susie asked.

I puffed my cheeks with air, before dramatically exhaling it and shaking my head, “I don’t know. She wants to get married someday, so probably.”

“And you’re cool with that?” Josh asked as he quirked his lips at his puzzle piece.

I plucked it from his fingers, before handing it to Susie.

She immediately placed it in the proper spot.

“Yeah,” I found myself smiling at the thought of Nicole walking down an aisle toward me. Would she wear a white dress? Champagne? A suit? “Yeah, I’m cool with that.”

“I want to get married someday, too,” Susie chimed in. “How are you going to propose to Nicole?”

I tucked my lips between my teeth, narrowing my eyes at Susie Madey.

“That probably won’t happen for a while. First, I want to exploit your dad’s fame to win some extra points with her.” It was more than that, though, “Then, I want to tell her I love her.”

I rarely, if ever, introduced my partners to Courtney and Josh. Beck and Adam, sure. Even Logan and Eloise, on occasion, unless they were super into hockey and remembered Logan from his time in the NHL.

But this was different.

Because Nicole was different.

I wanted her to be part of my circles, even if she was scared to insert herself into them.

For years, I had seen my friends in loving, lasting partnerships. They found one person and established a life with them. Some got married; some had kids. Beck and Adam did neither of those things but still had a stronger, safer relationship than most married people I knew.

“I just want to give this a real chance,” I nodded, “Nicole is the first person I’ve had these big feelings for.” I stretched my back out before adjusting my seat on the floor. “I want to show Nicole that I’m ready to commit to her, if she feels the same way I do.”

“Not just hold her hand and kiss her?” Susie pressed with a raised blonde eyebrow.

“I mean, obviously holding hands and kissing will happen too.” I winked at her before she rolled her eyes and focused back on the puzzle with her dad and me.

Mumbling to herself, Susie muttered, “Kissing is so gross . There are so many germs in our mouths. Dad and I did an experiment where we swabbed the inside of our cheeks and grew the bacteria from them inside a petri dish.” Susie shuddered, emphasizing her disgust.

“You’re not wrong about the germs,” Josh squinted at the puzzle, pushing his glasses up his nose, “But kissing can be pretty great with the right person.” He gave Courtney a loving glance over his daughter’s head.

Susie shook her head and made a grossed-out face, “Pass.”

Josh lifted a shoulder, “Suit yourself.” Josh turned to me, “T, How can I help you woo your woman?”

I smirked at the world-famous rockstar, “We shouldn’t make a big deal out of it. Let me tell you my idea.”