Page 44 of Take Care, Taylor

“Sure.” He opened the water. “Sip.”

She obliged, sputtering a few times.

“Good,” he said when she finished. “Lie still and try not to talk.”

“You never answered my question the other night,” she said.

“I’ll answer all the questions you want when we get back to the room.”

“No, answer me now,” she said. “Do you think Audrey is attractive?”

Our gazes met in the rearview mirror again, but this time he held my eyes through the red light.

“Yes,” he said. “I think she’s attractive.”

“I don’t know why I even came to your private bonfire thing then,” she muttered. “I guess I should’ve let you have some additional time to stare at her perfect-ass face, huh?”

“I’m definitely not into my roommate.” His eyes met mine. “There’s nothing there.”

“You promise?” she whispered, already half-asleep.

He didn’t answer.

Her soft snores filled the car seconds later.

We didn’t speak for the rest of the ride, and when we returned to campus, I held the door open as Taylor helped her inside and onto the living room couch.

I wondered why he wasn’t placing her in his bed, but I didn’t dare ask aloud.

Instead, I grabbed some medicine and a can of ginger ale and placed them on the side table. “She’ll probably need that when she wakes up.”

“Thank you.” He looked up at me. “Heading out for a drive now?”

“No, I’ll take you up on your car offer another day.”

“Okay.” He was still staring at me.

For a while, the only sound was the low hum of the refrigerator and Stacey’s soft snores.

The tension that always hovered between us felt quieter now, but it was still there—coiled, waiting.

“Were you in love with Craig?” he asked, catching me completely off guard.

“No,” I said. “But I wanted to be… Are you in love with Stacey?”

He didn’t get a chance to answer.

Stacey suddenly groaned and rolled over, vomiting onto the carpet.

I sighed and searched for some towels.

Somewhere behind me, Taylor exhaled—a quiet sound that said everything he didn’t.

TRACK 17. LAVENDER HAZE (0:58)

AUDREY

The following afternoon