Just as Exhale was touching up her makeup, she heard the doorbell rang and her stomach leapt with excitement. All day, her head had been in the clouds, unable to really grasp the idea that something she had worked so hard for had come through. Throwing her makeup back into its case, she smoothed her hair down quickly before practically skipping down the hallway. By the time she reached the foyer, Taylor was already ushering Raine and Drew inside while congratulating the enthusiastic Raine. As soon as she laid eyes on Exhale over Taylor’s shoulder, she shrieked loudly and jumped at her best friend, grabbing her into a hug and jumping up and down. “Can you believe it?!” she squealed.

“She’s been like this all day,” Drew laughed, greeting Taylor with a quick handshake.

“Exhale too,” Taylor agreed. “Should make for an interesting night. Hopefully we still have our hearing at the end of it.”

“Oh, you two need to shut up,” Raine said when she and Exhale had finished jumping together. She swatted at Drew playfully before tightening her arms around his thin torso. “We worked hard.”

“So where are we going?” Exhale asked, pushing her hair behind her ears and smiling when Taylor draped his arm around her waist and cinched her in closer to him. It was a nice feeling to recognize how proud he was of her.

“Underworld, where do you think?” Raine winked. “Drew can get us free drinks there.”

“Nice,” Exhale said with an appreciative smile at Drew. “Let me just grab my jacket, and we can go.” Not noticing the way the smile had instantly left Taylor’s face at the mention of the club, Exhale hurried to the living room to grab her black peacoat which she had left draped over the back of the sofa. Bella looked up at her lazily from her favorite spot at one end of the couch before curling back up and closing her eyes. “Bye, baby girl,” Exhale cooed to the cat, scratching her behind the ears and kissing the tip of her nose.

By the time she returned to the foyer, pulling her coat on as she walked, Taylor was the only one waiting for her, as Raine and Drew were standing outside in the cold kissing. They couldn’t have appeared to be anymore of a mismatched pair if they tried. Raine looked like a fashion model in her long, flowing black skirt matched with a low-cut white top, a chunky gold belt slung around her hips and barely clinging on as the skirt lacked any belt loops, and a denim jacket with gold silky ballet slippers on her feet. Drew looked like her polar opposite, with his dirty blonde hair spiked up into a short mohawk, a faded T-shirt for the band Matchbook Romance peeking out underneath a tight black hoodie and equally tight jeans. He was exactly the type of guy Raine never would have laid eyes on, but for some reason when she had met Drew Powell in the bookstore on one of their first days on campus the previous Spring, she had been attracted to him. And for the first time in her life, Raine had to work to catch his attention the way he had caught hers. Ever since she was thirteen years old, she had been fighting off boys who vied for her affections, but Drew presented a challenge because she wasn’t the type of girl he would normally go for either. Exhale recalled the way Raine had seen him among the shelves of textbooks that day, the first week of school after the winter break, and made a point to wander over to him and make flirtatious conversation. She remembered watching from afar with a puzzled expression on her face, wondering what had gotten into Raine to make her go after a boy who looked like anything but the normal Abercrombie-and-Fitch-model look-alikes she normally pursued. But something between them had sparked, though it took a good deal of time and effort on Raine’s part, and Exhale was sure she had never seen Raine happier than when she was with Drew.

“Aw, remember when we were that in love?” Exhale said teasingly in a voice loud enough to be overheard by the couple. She laughed when Raine, never breaking the contact between her lips and Drew’s, lifted a hand and flipped Exhale off over Drew’s shoulder.

Shaking his head at their antics, Taylor gently urged Exhale out the door and set the alarm quickly before following her out into the cold December night. Taylor volunteered to drive them over to the club, so they piled into the Range Rover. As the Lifehouse CD Taylor had left in the stereo played softly and Raine and Drew continued kissing in the backseat like a couple of fifteen-year-olds, Exhale reached between them and grabbed Taylor’s hand. “If you want me to drive home, I’m fine not drinking,” she offered with a smile.

“No way. We’re going out to celebrate for you,” he said, squeezing her hand. “I’ll just have a couple beers and concentrate on getting you smashed. I heard this rumor that I’m more likely to get lucky when you’re drunk.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, causing her to laugh heartily.

“We’ll see about that…”

After the short drive over there, the foursome spent a glorious hour drinking, dancing to the music supplied by the deejay, and having a great time with each other. The tiny buzz Taylor had begun feeling after his third beer was wearing off when Exhale leaned close to his ear and yelled, “I’ve got to pee so bad! I’ll be right back!” He laughed at her as she grabbed Raine’s arm and dragged her towards the restrooms with her. Drew pointed to the bar, indicating to Taylor that he was going to get another drink and asking if Taylor wanted anything, but Taylor shook his head. He wanted to be sure all the alcohol was cleared from his system before they left for the house.

Minutes passed, and soon Drew had returned with another beer for himself and a Smirnoff for Raine, but still the girls hadn’t returned. Taylor tried to shrug it off and assure himself that the wait for the women’s bathroom was always pretty long, especially in a place like this. But when five more minutes passed, his eyes began flickering around worriedly, looking for her among the packed club. She was more than a little drunk, and that knowledge did little to ease his mind. “I’m gonna go look for the girls!” Taylor yelled over the music while leaning towards Drew to be heard. He had already started walking away before Drew could even nod in acknowledgment. Pushing through the crowded room, he made his way in the direction of the restrooms.

Halfway there, he stopped short when his eyes came to rest on Exhale, talking animatedly with Brady while he leaned close to hear her. An intense feeling of discomfort settled over him, seeing them so close to each other and seeing the way Brady was looking at her. He knew the circumstances made their closeness warranted, but that didn’t mean it made him feel any less uneasy watching them. He tried to settle the jealousy rising in his chest, but the longer he watched, the worse it plagued him. As he continued making his way towards them, he suddenly regretted agreeing to be the designated driver for that night, because at that point, all he wanted to do was drink himself into oblivion. This was exactly what he had hoped wouldn’t happen at the mention of where they were going because it reminded him of how he had felt the last time they had been there and Brady had showed up. He reached them just in time to hear Exhale shout, “We’re celebrating the fact that we both got into nursing school!”

“I told you you would,” Brady said, squeezing her upper arms before pulling her into a hug. “Congratulations!”

It truly frightened Taylor to hear those words come out of Brady’s mouth, the exact same words in the exact same tone of voice he had used earlier that morning when Exhale had received the good news. He wasn’t sure if it was the fact that it made the two of them seem so much like a couple, or if it meant he himself was treating Exhale as a friend, but either scenario made his stomach tighten uncomfortably. It was strange, because he realized how completely irrational he was being; they were only talking, it wasn’t as though he had caught them kissing. Yet he couldn’t suppress the desire to grab her and drag her away from him. There seemed to be an intimateness about the proximity of their faces as they spoke to each other that instilled a flash of fear in his heart.

Exhale jumped when Taylor appeared beside her, snaking a protective arm around her waist. She could feel the muscles tightening against her back, and she looked up at him startled. She was afraid that by the time he loosened his grip on her waist, she’d have bruises in the shape of his fingers. “Sorry I took so long, I ran into Brady!” she said happily. “You remember him, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” he said shortly, acknowledging the other guy with a short nod. “Where’s Raine?”

“She went back over by Drew! You probably passed her on the way over here!” she giggled.

”Huh, probably,” he replied, feigning interest. He didn’t want to mention that his eyes were glued on the two of them. Raine could have stepped directly in front of him and he wouldn’t have noticed.

“How’ve you been, man?” Brady asked, looking a little uncomfortable under Taylor’s gaze.

“Good.”

The silence that fell over the three of them was deafening, even with the sounds of people and music throbbing in their ears. “Well, we’re probably going to keep drinking at the house later, so give me a call if you want to come hang out,” Exhale said when the discomfort became overwhelming. “It was good seeing you, Brady.”

“You too,” Brady said before returning to the group of people he had come with.

As Taylor led Exhale away, she pushed his gripping fingers off of her waist. “What’s your problem?” she asked crossly. “Why do you have to be such a jerk?”

“I told you I don’t trust that kid, Exhale, and I was worried when you left and didn’t come back,” Taylor said, stopping their movement towards Raine and Drew by grabbing her wrist.

“He’s my friend, Taylor. Am I not allowed to have friends that you don’t approve of? You barely know him! You’ve only met him once!” Exhale argued.

“I’m sorry…” Taylor sighed, sliding his hand up her arm and pulling her closer. Lowering his face so that his mouth was close to her ear, he wrapped his arms around her. “I don’t want to fight, okay? I just…he makes me uncomfortable. I don’t like the way he looks at you, Haley.”

“But there’s nothing there…” Exhale’s words faltered when she looked up into his eyes. They were clearly telling her to drop the subject and avoid a heated argument in the middle of the crowded room. “I guess I just thought you trusted me more than that.”

“I do trust you,” Taylor assured her, nuzzling his nose against hers. “I love you, and I trust you with my life. It’s him I don’t trust, and I can’t help that, Hales.”

Exhale tightened her arms around his neck and kissed him. His lips were so soft, seeming even more so with how pouty they appeared, and they glided across hers easily. The feeling that spread over her as their lips connected was enhanced by the dizziness she was already experiencing from the alcohol. When they pulled apart, she kept her face within inches of his and said, “I promise, you are the only person I ever want to be with. Brady is just my friend.”

“Can we not talk about him anymore?” Taylor groaned, tickling her sides softly.

“Okay, okay,” she laughed, pushing his hands away. “Raine’s probably thinking we left her. We should go find them.”

As Taylor allowed himself to be dragged back across the floor to their friends, he sighed. He hated feeling like he had felt just then when approaching Exhale and Brady because it made him feel ridiculous. Though some fans were nicer than others, Exhale had always done a good job of being cordial with them no matter what crazy things they said to Taylor when they met him. She had never let jealousy take over her the way Taylor had allowed it to overcome him, and between the two of them, Exhale would be the one expected to experience jealousy. He vowed to himself right then and there to not be so overprotective of her. He didn’t want to do anything to drive her away from him.

So a few hours later when her cell phone rang in her pocket as they were driving home, he set his facial features, determined not to make a face when she said, “Hey, Brady!” Glancing in the rearview mirror, he saw that Raine and Drew were again making out, completely oblivious to the conversation going on in the front seat. “Aw, you can’t?…Well, maybe next time.”

The corners of Taylor’s mouth twitched, aching to form a smile when she ended the call seconds later. “He can’t make it, huh?” he asked, trying to look disappointed.

“Oh, please, Taylor, like you even give a shit,” Exhale laughed, nudging his arm roughly. “It’s just as well though, because he would have brought all his friends and that’s too many people.” Though she still had quite a bit of a buzz going, she had slowed her drinking in preparation for the alcohol waiting at home. And she wanted to be able to enjoy drinking with Taylor when he was actually able to without having to worry about driving anywhere.

Taylor laughed as he maneuvered the car down the long gravel driveway leading to his house. “Yeah…you’re right.”

The four of them piled out of the car, Exhale walking a little unsteadily beside him while Raine and Drew stumbled drunkenly up to the front door behind them. Once inside, Raine cranked up the stereo while Taylor pulled out every bottle of alcohol he could locate in his house and all of the shot glasses he could get his hands on. After pouring a few for himself to catch up to the others, he began pouring them for everyone else. As much fun as they had had at the club, they had even more fun just the four of them together. By the time they gave up on drinking, it was close to three in the morning. Raine and Drew, in no condition to drive, took refuge in the guest bedroom after Exhale dug up an extra pair of pajamas for Raine to wear.

“God, I need to take a shower,” Exhale slurred, peeling her clothes off once her and Taylor were closed off in his bedroom. “I smell.”

“Don’t worry about it, we’ll wash the sheets tomorrow,” Taylor said, already slipping into bed once he was free of his T-shirt and jeans.

Exhale contemplated his suggestion for barely a second before collapsing beside him and pulling the sheets up around her. She looked over at him, laying on his back with most of his chest exposed and an arm draped over his eyes. “You look so fucking hot,” she whispered, trailing kisses down the center of his chest as she maneuvered herself on top of him. “And I think that rumor you heard about just might come true.” When she got no response, she looked up from his stomach where her kisses had led.

Slowly removing his arm from his eyes, Taylor glanced down at her. “Not tonight, baby. I just want to go to sleep.”

Obviously wounded, Exhale lifted herself off of his legs and huffed, returning to her spot beside him. He rolled over onto his side, turning his back towards her. She wanted to be angry, but the overwhelming feeling of hurt at being rejected prevailed. And when she woke up at one in the afternoon, the feeling hadn’t subsided. She rolled out of bed and took a quick shower to get the smell of smoke and alcohol off of her before pulling on a plain white t-shirt and a pair of flannel pajama pants and shuffling off towards the kitchen. Just as she started a pot of coffee, she heard a door open and close somewhere in the back of the house. A tired Raine appeared coming towards her. The curls which had looked so immaculate around her face the night before were pulled up into a messy bun, most of which was falling haphazardly around her face and neck. “Morning,” she yawned.

“Morning,” Exhale mumbled, plopping down at the kitchen table. “Did you have fun last night?” she asked as Raine sat beside her.

Raine’s normally pale cheeks flushed a deep red. “Oh my God, you guys heard us, didn’t you?”

“Ew, Raine, I meant at the club!” Exhale said, wrinkling her nose as she smacked Raine’s arm playfully. “You guys had sex here?”

“Oh please, like you weren’t humping each other’s brains out all night,” Raine scoffed.

Rolling her eyes and sighing heavily, Exhale felt the corners of her mouth droop. “Actually, we weren’t. But it’s not as though I wasn’t trying.”

“What do you mean?” Raine asked, her face relaxing into one of concern.

“Exactly what it sounds like. I came onto him and all he said was he didn’t feel like it, he wanted to go to sleep. Taylor never rejects sex. Ever.”

“Maybe he just felt uncomfortable with us being here,” Raine suggested.

“I’m sure that’s not it. We had sex the last time you got drunk and slept over here.”

“Too much information,” Raine said, putting a hand up in the air. “Now that’s all I’m ever going to think about when I stay over here.”

“Seriously though,” Exhale continued, swatting Raine’s hand down. “I think it was because of Brady. Running into him, you know? Taylor like…hates him for some reason, and even though he said he was over it, I think it was still bothering him all night. I really don’t understand why though…”

“He feels threatened by him,” Raine shrugged. “I don’t blame him, honestly. He looks at you like he’s just waiting for the right moment to snatch you up.”

Annoyance crept into Exhale’s voice as she snappily replied, “We’re just friends. I wish everyone would quit trying to turn this into something more than it is.” She pushed her chair back and went to the counter to pour out the coffee.

“Hale, don’t be mad. I never said you were doing anything wrong. It’s just…you have to wake up a little, you know? Brady’s into you, it’s obvious. And Taylor feels threatened by that, not because he doesn’t trust you, but because he doesn’t trust him. He loves you, and you know that.”

Exhale sighed, swirling the coffee in her mug as she brought the cups back to the table. “You know, that’s almost exactly what Taylor said to me last night…do you two have weekly updates on what to tell me?”

Raine smiled over the rim of the coffee mug as she took a long, slow sip and allowed the hot liquid to coat her stomach. “How’d you find out about those? But honestly, you just have to try and understand where Taylor’s coming from. I love you to death, but you can be really oblivious when it comes to boys. Brady likes you. So you just have to make sure you aren’t giving him the wrong impression about how you feel about him. Once Brady realizes you don’t want to be anything more than friends, he’ll probably back off, and everything will even out between you and Taylor.”

“It always does,” Exhale sighed. “I just wish it wasn’t so frustrating sometimes. I’ve never had to deal with Taylor being jealous over anyone before, and I don’t know how to deal with it without blowing Brady off completely. And I don’t want to do that, because he’s a great guy and someone I’d like to keep as a friend, you know?”

“I know you’ll be able to find that balance and be able to do both. I’ve known you long enough that I think I can say it with complete certainty.”

“Thanks, Raine…” Exhale said, setting down her mug and reaching out to hug her best friend. “Hopefully, he’ll stop rejecting me in bed soon, too. That was the worst feeling in the world. Now I know how he feels when I do it to him.”

Laughing, Raine said, “Just give me an hour or so to get Drew’s ass up and out the door, and I guarantee within an hour of us leaving, you two will be going at it.”

Taylor entered the kitchen just at that moment, giving a yawn in their direction in place of a greeting as he made his way over to the coffee pot to pour himself some. Exhale followed him with her eyes for a second thinking that even after all they had been through the night before, he had never looked sexier than he did right then shirtless with his pajama pants low around his waist and his hair tousled with sleep. When she turned back to Raine and smiled, she said optimistically, “I sure as hell hope so.”

INDEX | CHAPTER NINETEEN