Chapter 2
She never cared what she wore to these parties. She normally read on her phone while she waited for Carter to be ready to leave and never did she worry about what people would think of her outfit. Although she wasn't actually concerned with what people would think, just one person kept popping into her head while she got ready. Max... He was literally the complete opposite of who she envisioned herself dating. She had always used Gabe as the model for her potential first boyfriend. She knew he didn't see her like that, in face he repeated quite often how just like a sister she was to him. She was already a sister to Grant, and Carter, she didn't want to be Gabe's sister, if she was being honest with herself she had always had a crush on him. She would day dream about him realizing how meant to be they were and confessing his love for her over trig books. Alas that was not to be and she had pretty much given up that fairy tale, but now why was she even letting Max slip into those kinds of thoughts? He partied, he dropped out of school, he was Carter's best friend and former friend with benefits, he wasn't driven like she was, he just let things fall into place where ever they dropped.
She didn't know exactly why she was so drawn to Max, but she was and knowing she had always made the smart and rational decision, made him seem so much more appealing, as he clearly was not either the smart or rational decision. She really didn't have anything in her closet that would attract a guy, she could pass for a librarian most days, but tonight she wanted to stand out some. She couldn't show up in a mini skirt, she would be a laughing stock, but maybe she could make a few tiny alterations to her daily dress.
"Carter do you have a minute?" She knocked on her sister's door not sure how to ask the question she was about to but knowing Carter would have the answer she needed.
"Course, always for my twin!" She opened the door with a huge smile, a sign she had probably started pre-gaming for this party already, but today Taylor wasn't there to judge, she needed help!
"Can you help me find something to wear tonight? All of my clothes are dirty and I didn't want to wear sweat pants to a party" She half laughed trying to play it off like she wasn't asking Carter to get her dolled up.
"Are you serious!? I have been trying to get you to let me dress you up since I've been back, where do we start!" Taylor began to get uncomfortable after seeing the glint in Carter's eyes. She had no idea what she had just gotten herself into. They spent the next 2 hours trying on every possible combination of outfits in Carter's closet and had finally agreed on an outfit. Taylor was wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans, Carter had tried for a short skirt but Taylor held her ground. The shirt was a completely different story, it screamed Carter, which is why Taylor got to keep the skinny jeans she had chosen. It was tight on top with a low cut to reveal cleavage Taylor didn't even know she had, it was dark purple which Taylor actually did approve of and it hit just at the top of her jeans so when she walked you could see just the slightest bit of her stomach, which was almost a deal breaker for Taylor but Carter had convinced her it was barely noticeable.
"You look amazing Taylor! You should show off that body sometimes, you have it flaunt it! I just have to finish my make up and we can head out. Max said he was driving for some reason so we can all go in his truck if that's okay with you." Taylor was surprised, she knew he had offered to do the driving, but she figured he was just kidding with her and would end up partying with everyone else. She could drive his truck home if he did get a little too carried away so she figured it was no harm him driving them there.
Taylor went back into her room and put on her usual make up finishing off with a touch of lipgloss. She was never one to wear a lot of make up and she didn't feel like caking it on tonight either. She looked into her mirror and smiled, she actually liked how she looked in the outfit she and Carter put together. She hoped tonight was more fun than the usual friday night at Bird's.
She went downstairs to wait for Carter in the foyer and saw Max was already there waiting for them. He looked up as she made her way down the stairs and smiled. She was still Taylor, when Carter texted Max letting him know they would be a little later as Taylor was letter her give her a make over, he got worried. He liked Taylor's style, simple and sweet, it fit her and Carter was definitely neither of those things, clothing wise, or personality wise. She did have a new feature he had never paid much attention to in the past. Maybe Carter's make over was a good thing, Taylor had curves, he didn't know existed and suddenly the idea of dancing with her in the kitchen popped into his head. He hadn't been able to get the picture of her dancing at the counter out of his head since he saw her.
"Hey you look great, is Carter almost ready?" He figured it was best to keep it tame he didn't want to scare her away being over eager. He knew she didn't have the experience he did and may not even be interested in him.
"Thanks, she should be down in a minute." She smiled and looked down at her phone, nervous about tonight, knowing it wasn't going to be her normal Friday night but not sure what it would be. Carter luckily didn't take long and made her way down the stairs.
"Ready for some fun! Let's go before Elizabeth gets home!" Taylor rolled her eyes Carter didn't even try to give their mom a chance. She always assumed the worst of her, Taylor had already let her mom know they would be hanging out with friends tonight and would be home later. Grant was staying over a friends so there was no need to rush home, they were all taken care of. Taylor also let her know she'd left dinner for her and dad in the fridge and it just needed to be warmed up.
Taylor stood waiting for Carter to slide into Max's truck first since it was just a bench seat but Carter didn't budge. "I can't sit in the middle Tay, I get car sick."
"It's like 5 minutes away Carter."
"Do I smell? Why do neither of you want to sit next to me?"
"Tay I need the window pleasssse!" Taylor finally consented, as she always did to Carter and slid in next to Max. She left some distance figuring Carter wouldn't mind them sitting close but she had been wrong, "Taylor push over, you're basically on my lap." Taylor didn't want to make a scene in front of Max so she slid in closer to him. It wasn't a long ride so she could handle a few minutes pushed up next to Max, it's not like she never sat close to a guy before, albeit was a family member or childhood friend, but hey it counted.
Max could tell Taylor was nervous and if he'd been more a gentleman he would have given her as much room as possible, but he wasn't quite that good of a guy so he spread his legs wider then needed and brushed up against hers. He could have sworn he felt her jump a little, but you would never had known by looking at her she sat stiff as a granite statue for the entire ride nodding when they asked her a question but never saying a word. He could see her breath of relief when they got to Bird's and he wondered if he had read her wrong. Did she have any interest in him? Was she being nice because he helped her make dinner the other day? Well tonight was the night for him to figure it out, he was staying sober, he couldn't remember the last time he stayed sober on a Friday night, hell any night really.
Carter went straight to the keg and poured a red cup full of whatever beer Bird had managed to pull off tonight, she handed it to Max but he pushed it away, "I'm good I'm just going to see whose here already. I'll see you later. Where did Taylor run off to already?"
"She's probably out back reading like usual. Why?" Max didn't want to explain that he planned to spend the night following Taylor around and hoping to figure out where she stood with them.
"She just took off so fast, see you around."
Taylor was out back but she wasn't reading, she was staring into the distance with a cup in her hand. He crept up quietly behind her and watched her watch the peaceful night in front of them. She seemed to be thinking about something and he hoped it wasn't some school project, since she had a little smile on her face. The only thing he had seen her get excited for was term papers and SAT's.
"Penny for your thoughts?" He decided to break the quiet and see what he could learn about the elusive Taylor tonight. She was a mystery to him, and he hoped he would get the chance to figure it out.
"Just wondering why people think beer is so great, I had one sip and all I can picture is my dad spitting out the concoction my mom created last Christmas.
"Ah that explains the smile. I thought you didn't drink, why the beer?"
"I just figured I'd give it a chance, and I remember now why I don't feel the need to drink not only does it make you extremely sick the next day but it tastes terrible going down.
"Do you want to go sit by the water? It's a little chilly at night but sometimes I sit down there when I need some peace and quiet."
Taylor was surprised, she didn't think Max ever stopped partying, let alone slipped away for peace and quiet.
"Sure." She put the beer down on a table and walked with Max down to the little bench next to the water. It was chilly tonight especially with her smaller than usual top on, but peace and quiet worked for her.
"You know we were supposed to be watching the drunk idiots while sober, not sneaking off for peace and quiet. You don't have to keep me company if you want to hang out with everyone, I can always drive us home if you want to drink." Taylor was not so good at quiet apparently. She just blurted out what she was thinking, and wondering why Max wanted to hang around her all of a sudden. Did Carter put him up to this because she was worried Taylor was always working on school stuff?
"We will have plenty of time to watch drunk people, trust me it's early for them. I like hanging out with you Taylor, I don't want to go drink with everyone. I kind of just want to sit here and enjoy it for a little while. I'm normally too drunk or high when I come out here and need the quiet to level out, I don't get to appreciate the beauty of it all." He wasn't staring into the water this time, he was staring at her, but she didn't know that and instead agreed it was a beautiful night. She shivered a little though as the breeze drifted off of the water. Max slid closer to her so their bodies were pressed up tight, "I don't have a jacket to give you but I have some body heat. I saw on one of those survival shows the best thing to do when freezing, is to strip down and huddle close to someone else. I'm willing to give it a shot if you are!" She laughed and he decided that was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Her face scrunched up and tears coming out of her eyes as she laughed at his ridiculous suggestion was perfect to him.
"I don't think that's necessary, but I do appreciate the offer." She got out in between giggles. She was glad he was here with her. She normally spent the night alone surrounded by tons and tons of people her age who never even bothered saying hi to her let alone inviting her to hang out with them.
Max took the opportunity to put his arm around her shoulders and pull her in completely. He decided he liked the feeling of her up close and he was beginning to think he might have a chance of feeling her much closer tonight. She seemed to be into it as much as he was and he knew she didn't have a ton of experience but he figured she'd hooked up with someone before and if things kept going at the current pace it may just happen. Staying sober was turning out to be the best decision he'd made in a long time. He wondered if it could always feel this easy and fun if he was sober, normally it seemed like a chore all the build up with a girl. That's why he had stuck to friends with benefits for so long with Carter, it was easy he didn't need to pretend to want to cuddle and talk about their lives, but right now that's exactly what he wanted to do, cuddle in the chilly night with Taylor while he asked her all sorts of random questions he didn't even know he had for her.
"What is your favorite book?" The question left his mouth and he actually stunned himself, he asked about her favorite book and not her favorite place to be touched. He was either going soft or was in big trouble. Taylor was different then the girls he normally dated, and he was beginning to see how that could change more then just how he talked to her.
"Catcher in the Rye, I've always loved Salinger."
"You seem to keep surprising me Taylor, I would not have expected Salinger to be your favorite. I've read everything I could find he has written. Frustrated with society and teen angst was not what I expected to be your favorite though."
"Well I guess you have a lot to learn about me Max." She turned at that moment and was surprised to see him staring down at her. She wasn't sure what normally happened next but she really, really wanted him to kiss her. Luckily she didn't have to wait long he was more than happy to oblige.
Max knew it was a bit quicker then he thought it would be, but he wanted to taste those lips he had been staring at the for the last few minutes. He could tell she hadn't kissed too many people but she more than made up for her inexperience with her eagerness to learn. He slid his hands into her hair and pulled her face closer, he couldn't seem to get close enough to her. Something about Taylor made him feel alive inside in a way he hadn't since, well since he could remember. His hand slid down towards her breast and he was about to keep moving into his desired location when he felt her pull back.
"Um, I should go, I'm sorry but I just don't think this is a good idea. I'm Carter's sister, you two have a history."
"Carter would not care, we are friends, nothing more, I'll talk to her about it if that would make you feel better, because I don't think I can stop trying to kiss you Taylor. You have to admit that was something else. Have you ever felt that when you kissed someone?" Taylor wasn't sure how to respond. She had not ever kissed anyone. Sure she had given someone a peck during truth or dare whens he was younger, but she had never actually kissed someone for no reason other then to enjoy it.
"Please just don't talk to Carter about it. I don't want to talk to Carter about this. Please Max. Can we just forget this happened."
"I promise I won't bring it up with Carter, but honestly I don't think I can forget this happened. I liked kissing you, I want to kiss you again."
