“Yeah. I dunno. She asked if we could get dinner sometime and maybe catch a movie.”
Taylor made a face. A weird mix between a smile and a confused look. “Did I turn you gay?” he asked kind of seriously.
“Wow you just made, like, the cutest face I’ve ever seen you make.” She reached over to grab one of her throw pillows and threw it at Taylor. “No, you did notturn me gay.”
“So you’re bisexual?” Taylor asked.
She shrugged. “Maybe? Probably? I dunno, I think I need to sleep with a girl to find out.”
“Can I watch?” He joked. He grabbed the same throw pillow and tossed it back at her.
“Oh, shut up. You’re so weird.” Emogen lunged up and hit him over the head with the pillow before rolling off of him to lean against the headboard. She let out a deep sigh as she rested her head against Taylor’s shoulder. “You know this means we can never ever fool around. Like, ever again.” She told him after a minute of comfortable silence.
Emogen looked up to Taylor with a suggestive look on her face. Taylor shook his head and laughed in defeat as he rolled on top of her.
* **
Emogen’s favorite song started playing on the speakers. Perfect by Exceeder. She always just knew the best kinds of music. Taylor really liked it. It felt like such a Fletcher-coded song to him. Anytime he scored at a home game they played it for him, and the crowd always went wild.
Emogen had joked later that evening that Fletcher gave her “frat boy vibes.” Douglas and Sánchez both agreed, laughing as if she told them the funniest joke ever. They were definitely drunk. They were a few minutes from countdown. Taylor scanned the room for Fletcher, who was still in the same corner and practically the same position he was in earlier that night.
Katherine waltzed over with a bucket of beers, handing them to everyone. Taylor chugged half of it after Emogen told him, “race me” and proceeded to finish the drink in three gulps.
“Thirty seconds,” someone said.
“Are we ringing in the new year again, Emmy?” Taylor asked her. Emogen tugged his shirt and pulled him down to kiss her, making a loud smooch noise.
“Not yet, you guys!” Corinna shouted.
Emogen quickly released Taylor and softly slapped him on his cheek.
TEN!
NINE!
EIGHT!
Taylor’s eyes flickered over to Fletcher again.
Seven.
The girl’s back faced Taylor. Fletcher had his arm wrapped around his waist with his other hand holding the side of her head.
Six.
Fletcher looked up at Taylor, meeting his gaze. Their eyes locked. The blood in Taylor’s face drained completely and hisentire body suddenly felt way too hot.
Five.
Four.
His eyes never left Taylor’s as he leaned down and kissed the girl again. Taylor could feel Emogen tug on his shirt again, but he never tore his gaze from Fletcher. Not once.
Three.
Two.
One.
