Chapter 4
“Bye Christine” Sarah and Melissa said at the same time as they dropped her off at her apartment on their way home. Sarah, Melissa and Christine had all gone to high school together. Melissa and Sarah went to collage in the same town that they had all gone to high school in. Christine, living there all her life, had decided to get away. She now went to school two hours away. It was right on Melissa and Sarah’s way home from Chicago.
Christine grabbed her bag, said goodbye to her friends and trudged up the walkway to her door. Letting herself in, she was greeted by Kendra, one of her roommates. “Hey, how was your trip?” she asked over the sound of the phone ringing.
“Oh my gosh, it was so wonderful. I have the most amazing story to tell you” Christine started.
“Christine, phone’s for you already” their other roommate Jen called from the kitchen. “Some guy, says his name is Taylor.”
“Okay, I’ll go take it in my room” Christine called back to her. “And I’ll have to tell you my story when I’m done” she finished saying to Kendra and made her way back to her bedroom. “Hello” she said.
“So tell me, did you just walk in the door?” Taylor asked.
“Yes, how did you know?” she wondered.
“I don’t know, I’m just smart” he told her. She could picture the little grin forming on his face. She started to get one herself.
“So, did you call me for a reason, or just to brag about yourself?” Christine teased.
“You mean bragging about myself isn’t a good enough reason to call?” he asked in mock hurt.
“Nope, sorry” she said.
“Well then, I just wanted to talk to you. How’s that for a reason?” Taylor asked.
“Much better” she told him.
They chatted for about 15 minutes about how much fun they had had the night before and about Christine’s ride home. Then she told him that she had to go and get unpacked. After hanging up the phone she looked at her overnight bag but then decided it could wait and headed down the hall to tell Kendra all about her weekend.
“No way, that was not Taylor Hanson you just talked to on the phone” Kendra insisted incredulously after hearing Christine’s story.
“I swear to you it was” Christine told her and then proceeded to dig in her purse. She pulled out the small Polaroid. “Look, here’s a picture of us at one of those ridiculous picture booths from last night.”
“Oh my god, I am so jealous of you. You managed to snag the dream guy,” Kendra said after surveying the picture. “So tell me, is he as gorgeous in real life as he is on TV?”
“Oh, even more so. Those eyes, those beautiful blue eyes. I swear, I could have starred into them all night. It was like a dream come true, and it was so perfect” Christine told her.
“So, are you guys like together then?” Kendra asked.
“Well yeah, we decided we wanted to work out some sort of a relationship. We’re not sure if it’ll be completely exclusive because of the distance and since we’ve just met each other, but we’re hoping to see each other over Christmas and discuss it more then” Christine explained.
“Wow, sounds amazing” Kendra said.
“It is” Christine agreed. “He was so sweet…well, aside from the first night when he was pushing me too far, but he stopped at my command. He just seems like such a wonderful guy. If he’s not then he’s sure putting on a good act” Christine told her.
“That’s it, if you have him, you are introducing me to one of his brothers” Kendra joked. Christine just laughed.
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Taylor hung up the phone and stared at it for a while. He couldn’t believe the effect Christine had on him. She just made him feel amazing, almost nervous, inside, something no other girl had done to him before. He knew she was special.
“So how was the date last night?” Taylor’s thoughts were interrupted by Zac’s entering the room loudly. He had a tendency to bother Taylor at exactly the wrong time.
“Good” Taylor told him.
“Did you get any action?” Zac asked.
“No! Do you think that’s the only reason I go out with girls?” Taylor asked him giving him an evil look.
“Sorry, just asking a innocent question” Zac said not so innocently.
“No, seriously Zac. Yesterday you were surprised that I would be going out a second time with a girl that I had met at a bar because you assumed I would have fucked her and left her. That’s what you think I’m like, right?” Taylor asked.
“Well Taylor, you can certainly be a bastard to woman sometimes” Zac told him. “And don’t get pissed at me for saying so. You’re the one that’s given yourself that kind of track record.”
Taylor looked down at the carpet. He knew Zac’s words were true, and he was ashamed. He was an asshole; there was no way around it. And he was also ashamed that it was his younger brother that was making it all so clear to him. But then he realized it wasn’t just Zac’s words that were making him realize it. It was the thought of Christine, and how he never wanted to do something like that to hurt her. “I want to change,” he said softly.
“What?” Zac asked not sure if he heard him correctly.
“I want to change” Taylor said more strongly this time, looking back up at his brother. “I don’t want to hurt Christine like I’ve hurt so many others.”
“And how do you plan on doing that?” Zac asked.
“I don’t know for sure, but I’m going to do it. I’m going to give her the respect she deserves.”
