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Taylor is startled awake at the sound of someone knocking on his door. “Fuck,” he mutters as he sits up. He looks at his phone quickly, frowning at the time. He grabs his shirt as he climbs out of bed and walks out of the bedroom. He’s in the middle of pulling his shirt on as he opens the door, shocked to find Avery standing there. After not hearing from her for two weeks, he’d been sure that she’d made her decision.
He frowns as he watches her blush and look away quickly.
“I don't think of our first time having sex innocently either,” she tells him, answering the text she hadn’t responded to weeks ago. “Or our second time, either obviously,” she continues. “And I'm sorry I've ignored you for two weeks, but I needed space to think and I thought and I thought… and… why didn't you show up at the park to meet me the week before homecoming? I waited for two fucking hours for you. I waited because you told me I was your life completed. I waited because I was in love with you and I thought… I thought… it's stupid what I thought, but anyway, I waited and you didn't come,” she finishes as she finally looks up to meet his gaze.
Taylor rests his arm on the edge of the door as he watches her. “Good to know,” he says softly. “Because I would certainly hate for you to think less of me knowing how I think about it.” He nods slowly when she tells him that she needed space to think. “Why didn’t I…?” He frowns at the question. “Are you kidding me?”
“No! I waited for two hours for you and…”
“You told me not to come!”
Zac looks at the phone on the counter when it buzzes. The screen lights up, revealing a new text from Taylor. But it’s not Zac’s phone. It’s Avery’s. She’d left it on the counter while she went to finish getting ready. He glances over toward the small hall to ensure that Avery isn’t coming back just yet. He unlocks her phone, using the familiar code.
He’s never been dumb enough to believe that Avery and Taylor haven’t talked. He knows all about that summer he’d gone away for camp. Avery spent that entire summer with Taylor. When Zac returned, he’d seen how close they’d become.
Taylor 11:39 am
See you soon.
Zac barely manages to hold back his growl. He throws another look toward the hall, thankful that Avery hasn’t emerged yet. There’s only one way to put an end to this completely.
Avery 11:43 am
I’m in love with Zac and want nothing to do with you. You don’t care about me. I’m not going. I don’t want to see you and there’s nothing that you can say that will change my mind on anything. So don’t come.
“I what?” Avery asks. “If you…”
Taylor reaches out to grip her arm and pulls her into the apartment, closing the door. His neighbors don’t need to listen to this, at least in the hall.
“I texted you when I was getting ready to leave. Said that I would see you soon. You texted back saying you were in love with Zac and wanted nothing to do with me. Ended it with saying don’t come.”
“What are you talking about?” She glares at him.
“Knock that look off your face. I was on my way out the door, Avery. I was terrified and excited to see you. We needed to talk and I knew that was the right time to do so. But you told me not to go.”
“I didn’t.”
Taylor laughs bitterly. “Just tell me the truth, Ave. Why would I lie about something like that? Why wouldn’t I show up unless you told me not to?”
“Because you never cared.”
“Yeah, you told me that, too. For fuck sake. I’m in love with you, Avery.”
“And yet your first wasn’t me.”
“Neither was yours!” He shakes his head. “You promised me, Avery. You promised that you wouldn’t have sex with him that night. So imagine my surprise when I found out you did.”
“Because you broke your promise of meeting me at the park,” Avery says, frowning at his words. “You didn't show up and I sat there and waited for two hours like some idiot. Jessie even waited on me in her car cause she drove me and at the end of the day, all I had was your text telling me I was your life completed and me looking like an idiot so forgive me if I decided to sleep with the boy I was dating on homecoming instead of keeping a promise when you broke yours before I broke mine.”
Taylor shakes his head. “I texted you as I was walking out that I would see you soon.”
“Again with another…”
“I’m not lying!”
“Well, neither am I. Because I never sent you a text.”
Taylor drags a hand through his hair. “Wait here.”
“Taylor…”
“I’m going to go get my phone. The only way we’re going to get through this is going back through our texts.”
Taylor sits down on the couch after retrieving his phone. He sees Avery already scrolling through her messages on the other end of the couch.
“This is stupid,” Avery mutters. “This will just prove what I already knew.”
Taylor doesn’t say anything. There’s nothing to say right now. Until they both get to that point in their thread, no words will help the matter. He flinches when Avery drops her phone on the couch between them.
“There,” she says.
The one good thing over the last several months is that their texts have been limited so Taylor doesn’t have to scroll too far back to find the time he needs. He holds his phone out to Avery.
“Here.” He takes Avery’s phone after she takes his. He frowns as he sees the missing texts.
“No,” Avery whispers. “I never saw this.”
Taylor drops her phone to the couch. “Well, it was sent.”
“You have to believe it wasn’t me.”
“Then how do you explain it, Avery? Because you’re seeing it.”
As he’s finishing speaking, it hits him. Zac… it’s the only logical answer as to why messages are missing from her phone. But why? Would it have been so bad to let Avery talk to him?
“Did Zac have access to your phone?” He looks over, watching as she frowns.
“I mean…” She nods slowly. “Yes. He knows how to get into my phone. So if he saw it, he could have deleted them.”
Taylor shakes his head. “I can’t believe he would do this. No, I take that back. I can.” He leans back, covering his face with his hands. He takes a shaky breath. “I just…” He drops his hands to look at Avery. “I wanted to see you that day. I wanted to get to the bottom of everything. I fucking missed you. I thought that would have been the start of getting back on track of being friends again at least.”
“You really did want to see me?” Avery asks as she reaches out to brush some hair out of his face. She gives him a small smile when he says he missed her. “I missed you too… I never stopped and I was… god I was so fucking hopeful that we could have started to fix things that day… selfishly, I also read into your text more than what I should have for someone who was taken.”
“Well, I meant what I said.” He swallows hard when her hand moves to his cheek. “Ave…”
“Why would you want me not to have sex with Zac when you had already had sex with Natalie?”
Taylor frowns at her. “You still believe that? I told you that I didn’t sleep with her until prom. If I’m being honest, I would have waited longer if I thought I had a chance with you. But between knowing you were sleeping with him and her nagging me that everyone else was having sex, I just… gave in. I know that sounds horrible.”
“No, it doesn’t. Being teens suck.”
Taylor laughs softly. “Yeah.” He looks at her again when she drops her hand from his cheek.
“You really didn’t have sex with her before?”
“Senior prom was the first time I had sex.” He reaches over to take her hand. “Come ‘ere.” He tugs on her arm. “Come over here.” He smiles when she shifts, gripping her opposite leg to pull her over to straddle him. His smile widens as he meets her gaze. “Hi.”
Avery smiles as she lets her arms go to his neck. “Hi,” she says, locking eyes with him. “You look really adorable, all frustrated, you know,” she whispers as she lets her forehead rest against his.
Taylor rests his hands on her hips. “Right back at you.” He shifts as he leans in and kisses her softly. “I missed you.”
“Missed you too.”
He slips his hands under her shirt as he kisses her again, this time with more need behind it. He’s not sure he’ll ever be able to get enough of her. “You’re here,” he says between kisses. “What does this mean?”
“What do you think it means?” Avery asks, shivering at the feel of his hand under her shirt. “You told me to come to California and raise our daughter with you… I need two weeks of thinking,” she whispers as she lets her lips trail down to his neck.
Taylor swallows hard as he lets his head fall back.
“And I'm here,” she whispers against his skin.
“Oh my god.” He pulls a hand free from under her shirt to grip her chin. He brings their mouths together in a heated kiss. He’s about to maneuver them so he can pull her shirt off when his phone rings. “Fuck…”
“Ignore it.” She smiles against his mouth when he moves to grip the bottom of her shirt.
“Can I?” He meets her gaze, waiting for her approval.
Before she can, his phone is ringing again. Avery shifts to sit back a little. Taylor reaches over to grab his phone from the couch cushion.
“Mother fucker,” he growls when he sees that it’s Alex. “What?” he answers.
“Whoa, is that any way to greet your bandmate?”
Taylor sighs. “Sorry, just… a little preoccupied. What’s going on?”
“We got studio time tonight. You coming in?”
“Umm… I…”
He swallows as he looks at Avery again. She’s here. She came to California to be a struggling artist with him. He smiles, knowing she’ll be able to see him in the studio now.
“Yeah, I’ll be there. What time?”
“I’ll be there at six. Come whenever.”
Taylor hangs up a few moments later. “Want to go into the studio with me later?”
“Are you really asking me that when you already know my answer?” Avery asks him with a smirk. “Of course I want to go. I want to see you in your natural element making music,” she says as a shiver runs down her spine.
Taylor frowns a little at the way the look on her face changes slightly.
“Do you… you meant me, didn't you?" she asks, though she knows he wouldn't know what she means just by that. “I'm the one you wanted to take on your piano.”
His frown quickly turns into a smile as he cups her face between his hands. His dick twitches just at the mere thought of taking her on his piano. “Fuck, yeah, that was about you. Think we could make it happen, Babe?”
“Anytime you want.”
“Hmmm… I like the sound of that.” He kisses her again, ready to take it further, when he hears the lock on the door. He groans, dropping his forehead to her shoulder.
“Your roommate?” Avery asks softly.
“Yeah.” He lifts his head to look at her. Before he can say anything, the door opens and Shawn is walking in.
“Hey, man,” Shawn says. “Whoa, sorry. Didn’t realize you had someone here.”
Taylor groans when Avery slips off his lap and he has to adjust himself. “It’s fine. Wasn’t expecting anyone.” He grins at Avery. “She surprised me. This is Avery. Ave, this is my roommate, Shawn.”
“Cool. Hi, Avery. I have to go shower and then get ready for the other job. Carry on.”
Taylor shifts and looks at Avery. “Come back here.”
“Tay, your roommate is down the hall.”
He grins. “I won’t try anything.” He holds his hand out. “Just want to be near you.”
Avery giggles as she moves over to straddle him again. “Think you can behave?”
“Well, I can try.” He smiles at her. He finally lets his gaze fall to her stomach. “You know, I’ve listened to her heartbeat every night.” He rests his hands on her stomach. “It’s calmed me down.”
“Yeah?” Avery smiles, resting her hands on his cheeks. “I play the demo you gave us every night for her.”
“Do I get to sing to your stomach every night?”
“Anytime you want.” Avery leans in and kisses him.
Taylor looks beside him at Avery as they walk toward the studio. “I guess I should look into getting my car out here,” he says. “I know you can walk everywhere, but I imagine in a couple of months it’ll be harder.”
Avery slips her arm through his. “You hated driving back home, unless it was your bike, so it’ll be worse here. There’s public transportation. You could bring your bike out here though.”
“You are not getting on my bike while you’re pregnant.”
“Well, I won’t be pregnant forever.”
He grins. “Well, before I bring it out here, I owe Zoe a ride.”
“Why is that?”
“Because she’s a little minx and told me if I gave her a ride, she wouldn’t tell Mom I was smoking.”
Avery laughs softly. “Of course she trapped you in that.”
“Yeah, I know. Speaking of, I need to make a stop when we leave. Don’t worry, I won’t smoke around you.”
Taylor opens the door of the studio, letting Avery walk in ahead of him. He reaches forward to take her hand. He laughs softly when she stops to let him move ahead of her.
“I don’t know where I’m going.”
“You know Alex, so when you see him, we’re there.” He squeezes her hand as he leads her down the hall. He steps into the sound room they’ve been using. He can see Alex on the other side of the glass.
“Hey,” Cody says from where he’s sitting. “Who’s this?”
“This is Avery Sawyer. Ave, this is Cody Winston.”
Cody holds out a hand for her to shake. “Nice to meet you. Finally nice to put a face to a name. If I had to hear one more thing about the famous Avery Sawyer, I was going to jump through the glass.”
Taylor blushes as Avery looks at him. “Yeah, well…” He shrugs.
Cody laughs softly. “Alex, you’re coming in early.”
Taylor looks out toward Alex to find him frustrated. “Undone still?”
“Yeah. Wanna go in and play? Seems that works for him on this one.”
“Yeah.” He looks at Avery with a smile. “There’s a fridge in the corner with water and maybe some pop. As long as it’s good with Cody, you can sit at the board to get a better look. Otherwise the couch is comfy.”
“Just don’t touch anything on the boards,” Cody says.
Taylor steps closer to Avery, sliding an arm around her waist as he kisses her softly. “Need anything before I go in?”
“No, I’m okay.”
He kisses her again. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Taylor sits down on the stool after grabbing his guitar. Alex steps away from the microphone so his question doesn’t go through to the other room.
“Isn’t that…?”
“Yes,” Taylor answers. “It’s a long story.”
“But she is married…”
“Yes.” He gives Alex a look, hoping he’ll drop it. It’s a complicated matter and they don’t need to get into it here.
“Got it.”
Taylor starts playing the song. He focuses on Alex in the beginning to make sure he comes in when he’s supposed to. Once he’s past the part he’s been struggling with, he looks over to where Avery is sitting. He never thought he’d get the chance to play for her in the studio like this. She’s here for him.
“Nice job,” Cody says. “Hanson, you want to lay the rewrite down?”
Taylor’s face heats at the mention of the song. He swallows hard as his eyes move over to Avery again. She has the original demo of it, but hasn’t mentioned it. Does that mean she hasn’t listened to it? Could this be the first time she’s hearing it? If he can actually sing it in front of her.
“Hello? Hanson, you all right there?”
Taylor clears his throat. “Sorry, yeah.” He stands up, setting his guitar back on the stand. He moves over to the second microphone, grabbing the headset.
“Why do you look terrified?” Cody asks. “You wrote the song.”
Taylor laughs nervously. “Just… I was fourteen!”
Because that wouldn’t give it away to Avery.
I just can’t look at Avery when I’m singing.
He settles the headset over his ears, nodding at Cody when he’s ready. At least the instrumental they laid for this one turned out well. It’s not that the lyric portion had been bad, but he reworked a couple of the lyrics.
He closes his eyes so he doesn’t end up looking at Avery. He’d never make it through the song if he did.
Out my window a memory
And I’m dyin’ inside
I know the way it should be
Even though it was right in front of me
It was something I just couldn’t see
Taylor knows Avery had read the lyrics back then, but he isn’t sure how much she actually remembers. Though, once he gets to the chorus, she’s liable to know.
Madeline
Here we go around again
You know it, I know it
Don’t try to pretend
We know it could be
So much better than it’s been
Ahh ooo
Here we go around again
Taylor steps back after he finishes, waiting for Cody to announce that he’s ended the recording. “It was horrible,” he says the moment he can.
He finally opens his eyes, surprised to find Avery now standing staring at him. He swallows hard, wondering if he just ruined everything.
“It was perfect,” Cody says.
Taylor steps back into the sound room, nervous as to what Avery is going to say. He watches as she turns toward him as he approaches. “Hey. I umm…” He’s cut off when she wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him.
Kissing Taylor a bit harder, Avery tightens her arms around his neck briefly before pulling away and looking at him with a blush, especially when she realizes they aren't alone. “I love you and that song and I'm an idiot for not realizing it's about me.”
Taylor shakes his head. “I never let on that it was about you.” He kisses her again. “I love you, too.”
“Also, it wasn’t horrible. It was perfect.”
He rests his forehead on hers. “I’m glad you liked it. I wasn’t… it’s a little different than the one I gave you when I showed up. But something tells me you didn’t even listen to that one.” He laughs softly when she sees her blush.
“I didn’t, I’m sorry.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Cause we fell asleep together and then Zac showed up and things went crazy and I ran you both off and then you came back and you know… we…" she says with a blush. “And then Zac came back again and my marriage fell apart. I've just been surviving for the past two weeks.”
Taylor frowns as he slides his arms around her completely. “I’m sorry, Ave. I should have stayed. I should have… I could have handled that part better, too.”
“No, you had to get back into the studio. I understood.”
“Are you two done?” Alex asks, sticking his head into the room. “I’d like to get through another one.”
“Don’t you think Eric and Damon should be here if we’re doing full songs?” Taylor asks as he looks over at Alex.
“Stop being logical.”
“Someone in this band has to be.” He smirks as he reaches out to pat Alex’s cheek. “What do you want to work on?”
“I think before any more tracks are laid down, you need to sit and listen to what you have,” Cody says. “There are plenty of songs already.”
“That’s probably a good idea,” Alex mutters. “We’ll have to come up with a time that we can all be here. Taylor, what’s your schedule like the rest of the week?”
“I’m at the restaurant in the evenings.” He squeezes Avery’s hip, knowing he’ll have to talk to her about his schedule.
Taylor shifts the bags to pull his keys out of his pocket. He unlocks his door, letting Avery walk into the apartment ahead of him. He kicks the door closed before walking to the kitchen. “I’ll talk to Shawn, let him know you’ll be staying here. I mean, I’m assuming you’re staying here? I guess I shouldn’t assume, but…”
“Of course I'm staying here,” Avery says with a smile. “I mean, I'll have to go back at some point and have a proper conversation with Zac about everything, but I'm staying.”
Taylor nods. “And what about school? Though, I think I remember Mom saying that you’re doing it online now?” He grins when Avery rolls her eyes.
“Because apparently I’m the first teenager to get pregnant and they don’t want to cause issues with other students.”
“Hmm… their loss.” He leans against the counter after putting the few groceries they’d bought away. “Tomorrow, I can take you to the restaurant I work so you know where it is. You know where the store is now. That’s the one I go to the most. There’s another one near the restaurant that I’ll go to occasionally. But the one we went to always has the cigarettes I want.” He shrugs. “I don’t know how you feel about me smoking. So if you want me to stop…”
“I don’t,” Avery interrupts. She blushes. “You don’t have to stop.”
“Okay. I don’t smoke all the time. Tend to do more when I’m stressed. Which is probably why I’ve been short on cash the last few months because I’ve been fucking stressed.”
“Why? What happened?”
“Come on, Ave. What kind of question is that? Between the album and everything with you, it can’t be a surprise that I’ve been stressed beyond belief. And I know it’s my fault that the stress about you came to be. I know that, but it doesn’t mean it’s not there.” He smiles when Avery moves to stand in front of him. He wraps his arms around her waist.
“It is your fault, but we’re here now.” She lifts onto her toes and kisses him as she wraps her arms around his neck. “When’s the deadline for the album?”
“Depends on which part. We need to have a smaller number of songs to present by next week. Thursday I think.”
“How many songs do you have recorded already?”
He snorts. “Way too many. I think forty at this point. Which is ridiculous. A good chunk of them aren’t fully recorded. We may need to rerecord some, too, if they’re chosen.”
“Do they really need to be? Or is this the famous Taylor Hanson perfectionist coming out?”
He squeezes her sides. “Perfectionist? I don’t…”
“You are when it comes to music.” She smiles up at him. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She kisses him softly.
“Hmm… good to know.” He kisses her with a little more force. “Should probably eat, huh? Have you eaten recently?”
“No, I haven’t. Not since this morning.”
“Yeah, we’re definitely eating. Need to keep both you and our baby fed.” He kisses her one last time before she steps back. “What are you in the mood for? Something quick? Or…?”
“Something quick would be nice,” she says, realizing she’s hungrier than expected.
“I have leftover lo mein, how about that? Or I can make spaghetti.”
“Lo mein would be perfect.”
Taylor sits down beside Avery on the couch as they settle in to eat their dinner. When he opened the door hours earlier, he never expected to find Avery standing there. Sure, it’s what he’s wanted for weeks now, but as the days continued on, he thought he had his answer.
“Where’s this from?” Avery asks.
“City Sun,” Taylor answers. “It’s right down the road. Best lo mein I’ve had out here.”
“Gonna have to learn all the good spots.”
He grins. “I’ll show you what I’ve found.” He looks over at her, smiling more when he sees how tired she looks now, too. “Should probably head to bed when we’re done here, too.”
“No, I’m okay.” She covers her mouth as she yawns with a soft laugh. “Okay, I’m tired. But don’t change what you do for me.”
“I want to go to bed with you in my arms. It’s something I’ve wanted for a long time. And then when I wake up? I want you to still be in my arms. I want to hold you.”
Avery blushes as she meets his gaze. “I want that, too.”
“Yeah?” Taylor grins. “Good to know.”
Nearly an hour later, they’re getting ready for bed. Taylor swallows hard as he moves to where his shorts are. He normally only sleeps in his shorts, or even just his boxers, some nights. But how will Avery feel about that? He looks over to see her digging through her bag.
“So, umm… I normally sleep in my shorts or boxers. I can wear a shirt, too, if you want me to.”
Avery looks over and smiles. “Wear what you normally wear. I’ve seen you naked.”
“Well, I’ve seen you naked, too.” He grins.
“Would you hate me if I asked to sleep in one of your shirts?”
He shakes his head. “Not at all.” He gestures toward his dresser. “Third drawer.”
“Thank you.” She kisses his cheek as she passes him to the dresser.
“I know it’s not much here. The room is small. Hell, the entire apartment is small. But it’s… it’s what I can do for now.”
“Taylor, we could live in a car and I wouldn’t care. I just want to be with you.” She pulls a shirt out of the drawer and looks at him. “This one okay?”
He nods. “You can take whichever you want.” He sits down on the edge of the bed after he pulls his shorts on. “Do I get to watch you?”
“If you really want to.” She shrugs. “Not exactly…”
“You’re fucking gorgeous. And don’t let anyone tell you different.” He smiles as she blushes.
She doesn’t say anything as she changes into his shirt. Once she’s finished, she moves to stand in front of him. Taylor smirks as he rests his hands on her bare thighs, pulling her between his legs. He’s about to tug her down to kiss her when a phone rings. He knows it’s Avery’s by the ringtone. He grabs it from beside him, noticing the name that’s on the screen. He holds it out to Avery.
“It’s Zac.”