The Curves Ahead - Wattpad Award Winner

Chapter 15

"Oh, Taylor..." My emotions may have been in overdrive, but that didn't mean I couldn't empathise with her pain. "That's so awful."

"So, it was just all your talk about cosmetic surgery this morning, it kinda got to me, because I've been going through all this paperwork and discussing reconstruction. And, I know that they can make fakies look good and all..." She tucked her pin-thin arms over her chest, fresh tears welling up and dripping out. "But these are mine, and we've gone through so much together. It's just weird, you know?"

"I'll bet. Listen, if you need a good surgeon, the guy I just worked with is incredible. I can give you his details if you like?"

She smiled weakly at me. "That would be great. Thanks, Evi."

Matt breathed deeply, allowing himself to relax slightly. "Ladies, can I make you a cuppa?"

"Yes, please, Matt." Taylor squeezed his leg. "Do you have any of my camomile tea bags here still?"

"Yeah, there's a few left over from last week. Evianna? What about you?"

"I'm fine," I said stiffly, as far from fine as possible. I'd been expecting a hot and heavy reunion with Matt, not personal revelations from my nemesis and a strange sense of empathy for the girl I'd been irritated with for so long.

"Okay, back in a few."

Matt left and Taylor stared after him adoringly. I looked away, unable to handle all the dynamics in play, and wondering what on earth to talk about with Taylor. I shifted in my chair uncomfortably; my pretty lace panties, the ones I'd worn just in case, were cutting into my skin with the force of a kidnapper's duct tape restraints.

Luckily, Taylor soon launched into her old ways, which I could now recognise as inept rather than evil. "Evi, I have to say, you look really good! Are you doing something different? Your stomach normally sticks out way more, like a little baby belly, but it's really flat this week."

Ouch. I let it slide. "I've been pretty active while I've been away."

"Well, good for you. I know as well as anyone how hard life can be when you're carrying extra weight." She whispered as though telling me a massive secret. "Before I got diagnosed the first time and started eating well, I was about three kilos heavier than this."

FML. Three kilos? I could put that on after a single meal at a buffet. Taylor at that weight would still be lighter than one of my thighs. I had to change the subject. "How have things been in the studio?"

Taylor tucked her lithe legs under herself, curling her painted pink toes. "Really good! Matt's such a generous host, he's so easy to work with. He's always been like that since the day I met him."

"And where was that?" I asked, trying to be casual about it, but desperate for more information.

"We were working at the same network." Taylor's face lit up properly for the first time since I'd arrived, her wide eyes cloudy with memory. "I'd just started, and I thought he was totally gorgeous, so I asked him out. We'd only been on three dates when I got diagnosed, but he stood by me the whole time I was being treated. It's just a shame that cancer kinda sucks the fun out of a relationship, otherwise I bet we would have lasted."

"A real shame." Why didn't he tell me about this? I'd had no idea they'd even known each other prior to Jump Start, let alone had a 'TFIOS' type relationship. Matt skipping over something so huge smacked of deceit and I didn't like it.

"I'm just so glad he's around again now." Taylor lowered her voice and leaned towards me. "I have to tell you, I don't think I've ever really gotten over him properly, and I don't think I can go through this surgery alone. Who knows? Maybe, there's still love there."