I slammed the door behind me as I stormed into the house. After a few seconds, I heard Kylie’s tires screech as she peeled out of our street.
What I have I done? What in the world is she going to tell Taylor?
Twenty-Four
Birthday Wish
The next day was Friday, my birthday. I managed to keep my head down the whole day and keep out of earshot of everyone. I didn’t need to know I was being talked about. I would much rather live in a bubble and believe everything was all right than to see the world as it fell in around me.
As my last birthday in high school, it didn’t go so well. Alyssa and Madison both forgot it was my birthday. I had specifically steered away any conversation about this day for the last two weeks, since I didn’t want them to change their plans with their boyfriends for me. They had planned a double date to go bowling. Maybe if we all had guys it wouldn’t have been so bad, but I really didn’t want to be pitied or be the third wheel.
So, on Friday night, I found myself celebrating my birthday alone. Dad and Mom had planned to go to a double feature at the movie theater, and Cass and Claire were spending the night at friends’ houses. Mom was so sweet—she had even gone and bought a small ice cream cake for Alyssa, Madison, and I to devour. It was my favorite, an expensive Oreo cookies ’n’ cream cake from Baskin Robbins. I stared at the cake Mom had left on the counter to soften and knew I’d have to at least eat some of it or she would know what had happened. I got a knife from the butcher’s block and even attempted to cut the thing before I gave up. I wrapped the whole cake back in its packaging and placed it in the freezer for later. I just didn’t have the heart yet to eat my birthday cake all by myself.
This is my eighteenth birthday—I’m finally an adult. There is no reason to feel sad. None at all. I have wonderful friends who are happier than they’ve ever been before. I have a happy family that loves me. I even have happy ballet students. Happy people and happiness are all around me. So what’s the big deal? This should be a very happy birthday for me. Pluck up! Besides, it’s not like eighteen is all that special anyway. I mean, there are plenty of other ages out there that are just as fun like, seventeen and nineteen and . . .
I had just planned to go ahead and let the first tear fall when the doorbell rang. I wasn’t exactly dressed for company. I mean, I still had my ballet clothes on under my jeans, and my hair was up in a poufy ponytail. Thank goodness I hadn’t started crying yet! Heavens knows I’m not pretty when I cry. After a couple of tugs at my shirt, I shrugged my shoulders and answered the door.
There stood Taylor Anderson. His dark hair was slightly tousled, his chest was moving at the rapid pace of his breathing, and his blue eyes smoldered into mine. My heart flip-flopped. It would’ve done more but it didn’t have a chance. Without saying a word Taylor crossed over the threshold, took me in his arms, and kissed me. I was shocked, dazed, and a little breathless. He grinned at my discomposure when he released me slightly, just long enough to whisper in my ear, “That was for being the only girl I’ve ever known that would stand up to Kylie. And this—” he brought me close again and kissed me a second time “—was for handling Blake. And this—this is for you.”
My heart literally stopped beating when I realized he would kiss me again. In an instant my lashes fluttered closed. I felt two gentle fingers tilt my chin up just before his mouth captured mine. The kiss nearly caused me to dissolve into a puddle. Taylor chuckled as he held me tighter to keep me from falling before he continued to kiss me again in the softest, gentlest, most romantic kiss a girl could ever wish for.
When he released me, I thought my insides had turned to jelly. I braced myself on one side of the doorframe and breathed, really breathed for the first time since he had arrived. Taylor chuckled again and braced himself on the other side of the doorframe with the front door still wide open. I relished the cool breeze on my warm skin and glanced up at him. He looked almost as stunned as I did.
Our eyes met and he smiled. “Wow, girl, you can really pack a punch.” He shook his head. “I don’t think my heart has ever beat that fast.”
“Mine actually stopped,” I admitted. We were too close—way too close. I couldn’t stop my eyes from shining into his.
“Well, I promise I won’t move,” Taylor said. “Go ahead then. I’m waiting.”
“Go ahead?” Am I supposed to kiss him again?
“You know, slap me. I know you would’ve had I given you the chance. So go ahead. I’m all yours.”
He’s all mine. “You want me to slap you?” I couldn’t help smiling—he looked so amazingly attractive staring down at me.
“I know I should apologize. You’re probably expecting me to. But I’m not—”
“Taylor Darcy Anderson, if you dare try to apologize for kissing me, I will slap you.” I placed my hands on my hips.
“Are you serious?” His eyes began to glitter into my own.
Okay, is there a hotter guy in the world?
“What?” Taylor matched my smile. “What are you smiling about?”
“So is that why you came over?” I asked.
“To kiss you?” He grinned impishly. “Well, yeah. I’d wanted to for so long. And then—and then, when Kylie came over and said all she did, I couldn’t help myself. I drove straight here. My only thought was to kiss you senseless.”
“Really? You mean she didn’t tell you about it yesterday?”
“No, I was gone yesterday. Today was the first time I’d seen her. Why?”
“So you came to kiss me senseless?” I decided to get back to the good part.
“Yeah, I figured I’d pay for it later.”
“Oh, you’ll pay,” I teased. “Don’t think you can get off that easy.” I stepped back and rested my hand on the door handle.
“Seriously, Chloe, I . . . I can’t, I can’t—” Taylor took a deep breath and steadied himself a moment before he continued on. “I can’t take this any longer. I still love you. If you want me, then the offer stands. If not, I—I promise I’ll never bring it up again.”
Slowly, I stepped toward the doorframe. I placed one hand on his chest—which he immediately covered with his own— and I wound the other up his shoulder and around his neck. I could feel the frantic beating of his heart as I stood on tiptoe and gently lowered his cheek to my lips, and then mischievously whispered, “Only if you take me to prom.”
“Done.” He chuckled and held me in place when I went to pull away. “Are you sure you want to go to prom with me? Sure, I can dance, but not anything like what you’re used to.”
“Don’t worry about that.” I laughed and rested my cheek against his chest. It felt so good to be in his arms. “I’m a dance teacher, remember?”
Taylor laughed and held me tighter. “Hey, do you want to go out to dinner or something? Movie?”
I looked up. “Yes. But I, uh—I can’t.”
“Why? Are you watching your sister or something?”
“Nope. I have the place entirely to myself.”
“Oh, so are you grounded?” he teased.
I laughed. “No. It’s just that you haven’t passed the Dating Ritual yet. My parents would so have a heart attack if they found out I went out with someone they haven’t tested. And uh, I don’t know if you grasp just how much of a highprofile celebrity you are around here. Someone is bound to talk.”
He laughed. “So I guess coming in is out of the question, too?”
“Well, from the looks of Ms. Jenkins’s curtains next door, I’m going to say yes. She’s probably already had an eyeful the way you kissed me with the door wide open. Oh my gosh! I wonder how many people saw us.” I looked up at him.