Page 93 of Dreams
“Well, Taylor, why did Grant send you?”
“It’s a really long story, but it’s about his roommate…”
“Wait.” Michaela covered her mouth with her hand and tried to stifle her squeal. “You’rethatTaylor?”
“Uh…”
“Oh my gosh, okay, you have to come with me.” She stopped and grabbed Taylor’s arm. “You better be here to fight for him, because honey, if you break his heart at my wedding… well, I’ll just leave it at that.”
“I’m not exactly dressed to go in there,” Taylor paused, suddenly regretting all of her decisions. She should have been in a beautiful dress when he saw her. It should’ve been perfect.
“I don’t care about that,” Michaela waved off her concerns. “He won’t either. Come on.” She tugged on Taylor’s arm and they weaved their way through the crowd. She was still a few tables away when she finally saw him. He sat at the bridal table, leaning back with one leg crossed over the other. There was a smile on his face as he leaned over to listen to something a tiny blond woman was saying. He laughed, completely at ease amongst these people.
She never felt more out of place.
As much as she wanted to run, Michaela’s death grip on her arm wouldn’t let her. It was like she could read her mind.
“Hey, Maggie,” Michaela called bringing attention to them. The woman looked up, but so did Josh. He looked over them and then did a double take before bolting upright in his chair.
Taylor locked eyes with him and barely noticed anyone else anymore.
“Help me pee?” Michaela asked the woman Taylor now knew as Maggie. “This dress is a nightmare.”
Maggie looked from Josh to Taylor with a smirk on her face, and then left to follow Michaela.
“You,” Josh breathed.
“Me,” Taylor responded.
She had the sudden urge to laugh at his seeming lack of words. Or maybe it was the nerves, but she took a minute to control her laughter before looking back at him.
He wasn’t laughing.
He wasn’t even smiling.
Taylor stepped closer. She could see the vein in his neck pulsing in time with the pounding of his heart.
She searched his face for anger. For resentment. What she found in his eyes cut deeper than that. There was a deep hurt. He was in pain. A part of that was because of her. She’d never wanted to hurt him. He’d become collateral damage in her battle with her grief and she’d never forgive herself for that.
Josh slowly reached a hand towards her.
She studied him and then took it cautiously. His palm was warm against hers as he started leading her through the crowded room to a door at the back.
Fear kept Taylor silent. Fear of what Josh was going to say. Fear of what she deserved to hear. But, she needed him to speak those words; to tell her that she’d hurt him. That she’d abandoned him.
They reached the door, and a blast of cold air hit them as Josh pulled it open. Taylor shivered, glad she was in jeans rather than a dress. She took her hand from his to wrap her arms around herself, trying to regain some heat as they stepped out onto the patio. They were the only ones out here besides a solitary man smoking a cigarette. Taylor held her breath as they sidestepped the man and got upwind.
They stopped moving along the side of the building, and Josh looked down at her with a mixture of shock, uncertainty, and something else. He scanned her from head to toe, taking in her outfit with a slight tilt to the corner of his mouth. His eyes left a trail of heat wherever they traveled.
Taylor glanced at the stranger who was now stomping out his cigarette. She willed him to leave, but silently begged him to stay at the same time. She’d practiced what she was going to say to Josh. What she needed to say. She knew the words, but that didn’t make them easier to say. As long as someone else was out here with them, she wouldn’t have to.
The stranger didn’t even glance at them before striding over to the door and opening it.
As soon as the door shut, Taylor looked back up at Josh. His expression changed, all uncertainty disappearing.
“Josh,” she breathed, making herself begin the groveling. “I…”
Before she got another word out, Josh’s mouth descended into a claiming kiss. It was rough and very un-Josh like. Taylor slid her arms around his sides and pulled him closer. He responded by pinning her against the wall.
