5

"Crazy bitches!" Jas yells from inside the changing room. Romee giggles as she swipes through the numerous photos of her best friend changing. "Wouldn't you like that saved on your phone, Romee?" the dark haired girl says from the inside teasingly.

The blonde's smirk is wiped out from her face. Taylor shrugs nonchalantly but Romee deletes the photos from her phone. "Yeah right. There Jas, it's all gone now," Romee announces and stuffs the phone back in her pocket. "Happy?"

Taylor notices how defensive she got over the little comment Jasmine gave, it was just a joke but it seemed that didn't sit well with the blue eyed girl. Jas comes out of the changing room and gives both of them a playful glare before checking the things she bought out.

Romee notices how reserved Taylor has been the entire afternoon. While Jas was loud and boisterous, Taylor was much more timid. She'd smile sometimes but even then she'd look away bashfully, almost afraid she's smiling at the wrong things. Her lack of confidence was endearing but Romee had no idea why she felt that way about herself. Jas had to push her into various clothing stores and insist she get them.

"What do you think?" she would ask, an arm wrapped around her waist. An unsettling look on her face as she contemplated with herself.

"You look great!" They would say but Taylor would think otherwise.

The three stride out of the store together, shopping bags in hand. Jas with the most, no doubt. "Man, how is it only four? I feel like we've been here ages," the two laugh at Jas flailing her bag-occupied arms tiredly. "Okay one last stop and we're eating, it's a promise!"

"So what color do you think I should get this time?" Jas asks as they enter the salon, smiling back as the receptionist greeted them warmly.

"I don't know Jas, you never take my advices," Romee replies as she sits down with Taylor on the couch. "You okay? You've been quiet," the blonde voices out.

Taylor turns to look at her friend and gives her a cheery smile altogether with a thumbs up which makes her laugh. "You are a child Taylor, you hear me? An actual child!"

"You're both children, end of," and with that, Jas is lead towards her designated seat.

"Aren't you going to get your nails done? Or your hair?" Taylor asks Romee who was looking at something on her phone. She just wanted to make small talk, she enjoyed her company. Though she was still a bit shy, she couldn't help but be grateful for how nice and welcoming they've both been.

The blonde looks up from her phone and puts it away, "Nope, not today. I always get my hair done with Laurens."

Laurens. Right, her boyfriend. The brunette fakes a smile and nods her head, "Oh, that's cool."

"How about you? Don't you want to go dramatic?" Romee asks and flips the brunette's hair playfully. Taylor scrunches up her nose as hair fell on her face, she catches Romee's wrist and holds it still.

"I don't know, I think I want to cut my hair shorter."

And so Taylor did.

The brunette didn't inform Romee what hair do she'd get, she insisted it was a surprise and the blonde loved surprise so she let her be. Jas came out first, her hair was darker now but it still fell all the day down to her waist. Taylor, on the other hand, surprised both of the girls.

Her brunette hair was no longer dark, it was noticeably lighter. Bangs fell to the front of her face, she looked wonderful. "So, how do I look?" Taylor asks as she strides towards them. "Too dramatic?"

Jas stands up first and gives her a side-hug, "Girl are you kidding me? I'd so break up with Oliver and date you!" The brunette laughs and shakes her head.

"You look beautiful, Taylor," Romee says as she stands up. Her friend really did and she wishes she shouldn't need to say anything for her approval of herself. "Suits you well."

•••

Jasmine moans as she goes in for her first bite, "I fucking love burgers," she takes another and dramatically fans herself. "I do, I really do."

Taylor laughs at her silliness and takes a bite of her fry. Romee excused herself a few minutes ago after her phone rang, caller ID? Laurens. She tried to brush it off and enjoy her time, Jas was good company as well.

"How come Josephine isn't here?" Taylor asks after a few moments. She noticed she's never seen her around school as well.

"Oh she doesn't go to Davis', she's in college." Oh well that explains it then. Taylor knows almost everyone Romee hangs out in school with, by face. "Do you know she and Romee are actually sisters?"

Taylor's eyes widened in surprise, "Wait, really? Romee's Dutch right? She's from Holland?" she knew the blonde was but Josephine didn't sound Dutch like her.

"Yeah, sister from another mister." Jas winks.

"Oh, I didn't know that."

"Didn't know what?" Romee asks as she slides back in her seat and steals one of Taylor's fries.

"That Josephine's your sister,"

Romee smirks and nods her head, "I'm not the only Carey, surprise," she teasingly says, just like what the brunette told her the first time they met.

"The boys are heading over," Romee announces and her face brightens when she says it. Like she's genuinely happy her boyfriends coming over to steal her away from Taylor.

God, what am I thinking? Taylor mentally slaps herself. Of course she'd be happy, they've been together far longer and have spent more time together than she and Taylor had been.

But you met her first so you can be sad, Taylor thinks. Oh, god I'm going crazy.

Truth be told, a couple of minutes later the boys enter the dinner and takes their respective seat beside each girl. Oliver with Jas, Laurens and Romee, the other seat unoccupied was beside Taylor.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna have you wheeling around these four," a familiar voice jokes and Taylor turns to see Noe. "It's nice to see you, feeling better than last time?"

"Hi, yes I definitely am. It's really nice to see you too," Taylor smiles. "How have you been?"

Noe smiles and takes his baseball cap off, ruffling his hair around effortlessly and manages to still look attractive. "Good, now that I've seen you," the brunette laughs nervously and leans back in her chair while the other four try to stifle their laughter at the exchange.

"Oh my god you are so weak!" Jas teases and doesn't even bother to hide her laughter.

"Good now that I've seen you," Romee imitates in a deep gruff voice which sounds nothing like Noe by the way. "What the hell was that?"

"Oh screw you guys, leave me alone."

"Okay grandpa."

"I'm not even old!"

"We know, you're just older."

"I'm 25!"

While Noe was put on the spot and was fired by his friends, Taylor zoned out and focused her attention on the blonde. Her head rested comfortably against Laurens chest. She wishes that was her, that she could comb her hair through her rich blonde hair. That she could lace their fingers together and kiss her goodnight. But it couldn't be her. Someone already filled that position in Romee's life. All she could be was her friend.

And though it upset her to no end, she believed being friends with the one she loves was worth something. The fact that Romee was in her life meant a lot, it was everything she'd always wanted. To be noticed by her.

Romee looks up and catches Taylor's eyes trained on her, the blonde gives her a small tired smile and looks away. This was the second time she was caught staring today. She didn't know if Romee was oblivious or if she simply didn't care.

She hoped it was the latter. That way she'd know that even if the blonde found out about the way she felt for her, she'd still accept her as she is. As her friend. She didn't want to be shut out, or looked at with disgust.

It's not my fault, I promise. She thought. If I knew how I could un-love you, I would have done it a long time ago and saved myself from the heartbreak and the many more heartbreaks to come.

I promise.

I promise.

I love you, I promise.