Page 68 of The Heiress
Taylor rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. “For goodness sake, Phoenix, you’ve been such a pain all week. Max and I could see how miserable you were!”
“What? I haven’t!” I objected fiercely. “What are you on about?”
Taylor spoke in a hush. “I asked Elisha if she wanted to join this class. When I told her you were helping me, she couldn’t sign up fast enough. And there’s no point in denying anything because I know all about the plunge pool.” She winked, causing my heart to miss a few beats in shock. But Taylor had reverted back to coach mode. “We’ll do a game of Champion of the Court. You know it?”
I frowned; of course I knew it, but I couldn’t get past Taylor knowing about the plunge pool. If Elisha had told Taylor about our kisses and Taylor and Max’s interference had brought Elisha and I back on talking terms, that was a good thing.
If I wanted it to become something more, then I needed to step up my game.
Chapter 20
Elisha
Taylor had come upto me when I was rummaging around in my locker, in a momentary panic because I couldn’t find my statistics textbook. There wouldn’t be time to dash to my dorm room, not unless I sprinted the whole way.
“Hey, Elisha.”
It wasn’t a casual passing-by hello, because Taylor’s locker wasn’t near mine, and even though I’d watched her play tennis and briefly danced at the Country Club, I was under no illusion that I’d been catapulted to friend status now that we were back in school.
“Hi,” I replied, my eyes lighting up as I saw the top book in the crook of my arm was indeed my statistics textbook. All this time I’d been looking for an orange cover! Duh, that’s how messed up my brain had been.
“Hi,” Taylor said as she adjusted her backpack strap. “Uh, have you talked to Phoenix recently?”
I shook my head, but an ominous chill descended over me. “Why? Is he okay?” He hadn’t been using his crutches this week and my first fear was that he’d fallen.
At five ten, Taylor’s height was intimidating, and looking down on me, I prepared to be scolded for something or other. But she touched my shoulder and shifted me closer to the lockers, lowering her voice. “Look, I know it’s none of my business, but Max and I know something’s not right with Phoe.” Her pause caused my heart to pound. “Did something happen between you two?”
The air in my lungs didn’t seem to know what to do, but the blood vessels in my face definitely did. A gentle warmth flowed up my neck and spread like a wildfire across my cheeks, and it was on a stuttered gasp that I asked, “Wh...what do you mean?”
Taylor’s smile was slow and knowing, but her eyes flitted down to the books in my arms, kind enough not to stare at my uncontrollable blush.
“Phoenix went to Max’s on Sunday morning and then we met for lunch.”
I cut in, repeating her words, “Phoenix went to Max’s on Sunday morning?”
Taylor nodded with a raise of her eyebrows. “Uh-huh. As soon as he got home, he invited Phoenix over. Not me. Phoenix,” she said with a laugh. Not fazed by it at all. Something perfectly normal—two friends hanging out.
