8

"Do you always take that around with you?" Noe asks a couple of feet behind her. He was barely keeping up with the rest of the group, he was panting and sweating as a result of his lack of physical activity for the past few months he's been home. "I see you bring it around, often."

Taylor keeps her eyes on the viewfinder, the subject on her monitor in focus. Blonde hair was whipping around, head thrown back in sheer delight. Her shutter speed was fast enough to capture the twinkle in her deep-blue eyes and the set of dimples that complimented them. Click. Click. Click. "There's your answer," the brunette replies distractedly.

Romee examines the rising slope just a few feet ahead of her, hands on her hips determinedly. She eyes Laurens adjacent to her who looks just as concentrated before reaching out to push him and cause him to fall on his ass. "Hey!" Laurens exclaims. The blonde giggles away, her long legs carrying her through the mass of green.

Taylor doesn't know what Romee does next, her view from her finder is obstructed when a very cropped Noe comes into view. "Yes?" She doesn't mean to sound annoyed but she does anyway. Confused and even looking a little hurt, Noe mumbles a never mind and continues trekking towards his younger brother who just about stood up from his position.

"Damn Tay," Jas says from behind her, an eyebrow raised up. "You alright?"

"I am," She replies and jogs up towards Noe. She didn't mean to upset him, now that her mind was off a certain blue eyed beauty she now realizes how much she's been an ass to the older guy. He'd been trying to make conversation throughout the entire thirty minutes and she'd answer as short and as slow as she could. Her mind was clearly elsewhere.

"Hey," Taylor makes a move to tap his shoulders but he'd already turn around to face her. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to use that tone with you."

Noe gives her a long hard look, it makes her nervous and even a bit uncomfortable. What was he thinking? Did he see through her? Did he put the pieces together and figure out the reason she'd been so distracted the past couple of days they've hung out? Instead, the corners of his mouth curled up into a smile. "It's okay," A strong lean arm wraps around her shoulder and pulls her closer into him. "I know high school can be tough, hated every single bit of it."

"Really? You hated chicks running around after you wherever you went?" Laurens asks incredulously as they reached the top a few moments after. His brother gives him a look and he smirks devilishly before walking away.

It took them a good ten minutes to finally reach the cabin. She was told Romee's late father owned it but as a gift before he went away, he gave it to her. "Damn." Oliver let out in awe. It was a mountain modern cabin, tons of glass windows which Taylor was sure would be a very nice view to wake up to every morning. She wouldn't mind dropping out of school right now to live in the wilderness.

"Verwelkomen," Romee says in a extremely sultry Dutch accent. Upon seeing the look of confusion on Oliver's face, she rephrases. "Welcome."

The guys were quick to head upstairs after the blonde announced they can pick any room they want except for hers of course. Taylor presumed Lauren's was heading over to Romee's, they'd be sharing it. The thought of whatever it is they could be doing tonight flooded her mind painfully and she had to push them away fast. Instead, she turned around to the fireplace her hands reaching out to let the warmth embrace her.

"Cold?" Taylor's lips turn up into a smile, her body quickly heating up and feeling giddy.

"Not anymore." She eyes the blonde who looked to be really deep in thought.

"You okay?" Taylor asks, concern written all over her face. Romee thinks it's very sweet, cute even. The amount of times the brunette has shown worry and care for her was really touching. To have someone care for her so much, it was heartwarming. From time to time Taylor would ask her how her day was or how she is, how she felt about certain things or if she was okay with it.

"Yeah, I just miss my dad," Romee smiles sadly. "I mean, we've never been close I guess. He was rarely home and spent his time in the OR, for hours he'd stay there and missed out on me growing up."

"When I was younger I never understood it. My classmates would have someone to bring around during family day and I always had to stay with my teacher because my mother insisted it wasn't important and my dad was occupied." Taylor felt for Romee's younger self. She didn't have a sibling with her growing up, or that she knew of anyway.

"I realized that life for my parents was always like that, even before I came along. My dad has always been busy and my mom, well she'd spend her time growing her business." She paused for a moment and looked away to face the flames continuing feed off from the oxygen, heat, and fuel. "I found out about my step-sister, Josephine, when I was twelve. I hated my dad for it, called him a cheater and a liar. I mean, I was young and I had a picture of an ideal family. Finding out he had another child with another woman that wasn't my mom obviously didn't fit into the plan."

"My mom told me to stop being so angry at him though," She laughed but there was no humor in it. The sound no longer in rhythm with her heartbeat. "My mom knew there had been someone else but she stayed. God, she stayed in her miserable marriage for me. They weren't happy and it drove me mad. I rebelled all the time just to piss them off. I'd go out late at night, I dated Laurens even when they told me I wasn't allowed to."

"All that pent up anger, all the energy I put into upsetting them and now my dad's gone. I'm not saying he had been the ideal father to me, but he was still my father and I still loved him."

Taylor could feel her own heart breaking at the sight of Romee so vulnerable, so sad, she wanted to hold her so tight and keep the blonde in her arms forever. Tears silently streamed down her sun-kissed face down to her soft pink lips. Taylor's heart sank further and she could not resist pulling Romee into her, the blonde made no sound but her shoulders shook as she felt the pain pierce through her heart.

Jas was on her way down the stairs when she caught sight of the two in an embrace. She saw the blonde shake and how Taylor gripped her tighter, allowing her shirt to dampen from painful tears that pooled down her beautiful face. She also saw how the brunette tried her best to console their friend, whispering words of comfort into her ear. Jas retreated back up the stairs and left the two alone. They stood there quite sometime, sheltered by each others arms.

——————

"You guys the world spinning," Laurens laughs as he finishes his fourth bottle. He sighs and leans his head on Romee's shoulder. "Babe I think I'm gonna need to, to head up. Before I puke."

"Sure, I'll go with you," Romee makes a move to stand but Laurens pulls her down in protest.

"No, you have fun with your friends. Okay?" His hands are pressed on both sides of her face, his eyes serious but it's all too comical. Noe laughs too hard, knocks a few bottles when he falls backwards and off the log. They're both really drunk, Oliver is fast behind them while Jas and Romee remain tipsy.

"Okay babe, you take care." The blonde says teasingly before returning his sloppy kiss. Taylor shudders in unease.

"Let's play spin the bottle!" Oliver suggests mischievously. Noe, though drunk, manages to put on a semi-serious face at the suggestion.

"Oh my god Oliver, I'm too old for shit like this." He groans.

"Are you backing out?" The blonde asks but she knows Noe wouldn't. For the four years she's been with Laurens, she was able to know his big brother well. She knew he loves being challenged. Nor shakes his head and Oliver starts spinning the empty glass bottle.

"Me! Me!" Jas says excitedly. Her smile drops into a pout when it lands on Noe. "Damn it."

"Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to take your shirt off and do your best Tarzan impression."

Without missing a beat, Noe pulls his white shirt above him and twists it in the air. Taylor can't lie, his physique was something else. He was far more attractive than his younger brother too. Muscles flexed and taught as steel, if she were interested in men she'd totally be into him. If she were.

Taylor looks away to steal a glance from Romee, her eyes lit up with a wide grin as Noe puffs out his chest and beats it just as the animated character would. "Me, Tarzan!" The blonde nibbled at her lower lip to hold back the laughter that was threatening to erupt if he didn't stop.

Ocean blue eyes lock with Taylor's forest green. The brunette tells herself to look away because she knows if she doesn't she'll fall deeper. She decided to take the risk and keeps their eyes interlocked, she's already fallen in love with her — it wouldn't hurt to fall a little bit more, right? Taylor feels the universe still, and the sound of laughter and cheer is drowned out. The wind stops blowing but the stars continue to shine, she knows because she can see them in Romee's eyes. She's stopped breathing for quite some time now. Romee herself has not made any effort of looking away and it only makes Taylor's mind race. She can't concentrate, can't think straight.

Unsurprisingly, the blonde is the first to look away just after she gives her a sweet smile. A grin creeps its way unto Taylor's face but she is saddened by missing her ocean blue orbs. Jas sees the interaction again, she's a but sobered up now. She's not stupid, she knows Taylor has taken a liking to their friend. She wonders if anyone else knew.

Taylor looks up and sees Jas already eyeing her calculatingly, the smile wipes off from her face fast. "We need to talk," Jas mouths at her. She looks stern and it makes the brunette nervous. Could she have seen that? What does she say? Is she going to deny the obvious truth?

Jas wasn't stupid. She maintained a straight A in all of her classes, she used to be captain of the chess club and a member of the debate team. Just because she had moved on to cheerleading doesn't mean she'd lost all of her intellect.