could say it’s better.”
“He was telling us before you came down how worried he was about you,” Chelsea says.
“He said that? I got us into that mess. He insisted on staying in a hotel, but I convinced him to keep driving, so he was really upset when we became stranded. You have no idea how bad it got, and he tried so hard to keep me warm. I was shocked at his behavior.”
“I told you they are all great guys, and any one of them would do anything to protect any one of us girls,” Hannah says.
Morgan chuckles. “I know it’s hard to believe sometimes, but even Matt would.”
“They’re manlier than the guys we went to private school with. If someone was shooting at those guys, they would’ve put us in front of them to take the bullet, but I see these guys are different. It’s weird to think we’re older and around men now, not boys,” I say.
Hannah pokes my arm. “When are you going to tell Dylan about your dad?”
She’s really determined I do this, and I dread it. “I don’t want him to know anytime soon. He’ll become self-conscious about playing his guitar and won’t do it while he’s here. Plus I don’t want him to treat me different.”
“Taylor, he’s not going to do that, and I don’t know how many times I have to tell you,” Hannah says.
She’s losing patience with me, and I’m catching on to how protective she is of Dylan. “Sorry, but it’s always been the trend with males. I don’t know why they have to act intimidated just because Vincent Page is my father.”
“I can’t believe none of us thought to tell Dylan. We didn’t even find out he played guitar until the night before ... well ... the night before Hannah got hurt, so that’s probably why it’s never crossed our minds until now,” Morgan says.
Hannah Banana’s eyes light up. “Brett said Dylan’s a phenomenal guitarist.”
It’s time to change the subject. “What are the plans for the week? I feel like Dylan and I are ruining them already.”
“We thought about going out one night to dance. Maybe we’ll go out to eat and do some shopping another day, but we’ll mostly stay here and relax. Oh, and we have to get into the hot tub for sure,” Hannah says with enthusiasm.
“I’m all for the hot tub, but I can’t step outside that door today.”
Hannah gets her mischievous grin. The one that informs me I’m going to be doing something out of my comfort zone.
“I know something we can do that’ll warm you right up,” she says.
Dylan
I walk into the game room where my friends are playing pool. It’s awesome in here, but I know I just walked into the interrogation room. Cody’s my best friend, so he’ll want to know everything going on with Taylor. Their game of pool ends, and I join in for the next one.
“You know I have to ask, buddy. What’s up with you and Taylor getting along?”
I knew Cody wouldn’t wait five damn seconds. Nervousness washes over me. The guys will see right through me if I hold out, especially Cody, but I don’t want them to give me grief about her, so I’m going with partial truth.
“I got to know her better, that’s all. It’s going to happen when you’re trapped in a car with someone for fourteen hours, and yes, I was in that vehicle with her for a total of fourteen hours.”
“Nope, I’m sensing something more,” Austin says.
Matt hits the cue ball. “Yeah, I wondered if you ‘broke her’ like you said you were going to do that day we met her.”
I might as well accept this is going to go on all week. I think back to the day at the hospital when we were all there for Hannah. I’ll always remember the first time I saw Taylor and felt the magnetic pull to her. I told my friends to give me time, and I’d break her. It’s been much harder than I thought, and I don’t know if I can make it happen, but man I hope so.
She’s so damn gorgeous. I start thinking about her lips and curling up with her in bed. I want to do it again, and
Salomé Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk