1 week later
Taylor
"Taylor!" my cousin, Ella screams as she runs towards me and practically jumps on me, causing a couple of heads in the restaurant to turn and look at us. "I missed you! Seattle isn't the same without you! There's no one to go out and get drunk with."
I laugh. "Maybe tonight we can go out," I tell her, scraping back a chair and sitting down opposite her.
"Yes!" she says, clapping her hands together.
Ella's the same age as me. We always used to sneak out the house to go out partying or just drink at the park.
Once we even got caught by our Mums. They were so angry and grounded us, but we still managed to sneak out somehow. It was easy, especially since my mum is a nurse.
The waiter comes over with our menus, handing us one each. His eyes linger on me for a long time and I just smirk to myself, shaking my head and looking down at my menu.
"That waiter was so checking you out," Ella tells me, leaning forward. "Maybe you should get his number - he is hot."
I chuckle, biting down at my lip as my eyes skim over the menu. "Or maybe you should," I say.
Ella narrows her eyes. "What's the problem?" she wants to know. "The guy is hot and clearly interested in you and you're single, right?" I stay silent, not knowing what to say and her eyes grow wide. "Are you seeing someone?"
"What? No!" I exclaim in a hushed voice. "I just want to be single, that's all. I don't really have time for flirting or flings or whatever shit."
My mind goes back to Abel. I didn't see him for the last week while I was in New York, even though we live right next to each other.
I don't even know why I wanted to see him. I guess it's just because I want to reassure myself that he doesn't hate me for walking away from him.
Or maybe because I want to see if he's okay, what with Hyghly and Hawk on his back about this damn money.
Abel told me that he had the money, but was just getting rid of the drugs first.
I don't understand why he wouldn't just pay those two assholes if he has the money?
And as for the drugs, why doesn't he just chuck them down the toilet?
I don't think I'll ever understand Abel and the stupid decisions he makes.
"Okay, fair enough," Ella says now. "Have you hooked up with any guys after Justin?"
I nod, tracing my finger along the wooden table. "Just the one," I say.
Ella starts to grin. "Oooh, spill!" she squeals. "How did it happen? When did you meet? What was he like?"
I chuckle, feeling a tug of sadness at my heart.
Before I can answer her, the waiter comes over to take our orders, his eyes trailing down my face the whole time.
"Can I have the steak with chips and onion rings?" I ask. "Oh, and the chicken wrap with sweet potato fries."
He nods and turns to Ella, who orders a plain old salad. Salad is literally the only thing this girl eats, it's disgusting. She's like a bloody rabbit.
The waiter disappears and Ella laughs. "You literally just ordered two meals for yourself," she says.
"Well, since is probably the last time I'll be in this restaurant, I may as well go all out," I chuckle.
Ella rolls her eyes playfully. "Anyway!" she says. "Tell me more about this guy."
"Don't judge me, but it happened like a day or two after Justin left," I say, squirming a little. Ella bursts out laughing. "But! But to be fair, I was drunk!" I say in an attempt to defend myself.
"I want to know the full story," Ella says, recovering from her laughing. "Did you guys hook up again or . . .?" She trails off, waiting for me to finish off.
I nod and she squeals again. "The day after he came to my apartment to give back my bra back and we hooked up again," I say.
"What's he like?" Ella wants to know.
I smile. "Abel's an asshole," I state blankly, causing Ella to snort. "But not completely. He's actually really sweet and caring - sometimes." I trail off, looking into the far distance as I think about Abel.
"Oh my God!" Ella breathes, causing me to snap out of my daze.
"What?"
"You have feelings for him!" Ella exclaims.
I shake my head. "Not just feelings, I'm in love with the asshole," I mumble.
"So what are you doing here?" Ella asks in a snappy tone. "Why aren't you in New York with him? Or why didn't you even bring him with you?"
"Because he fucked up," I answer with a shrug of my shoulders. "I don't want to be with someone like him - he really hurt me and I don't know how to forgive him. You know how stubborn I am."
Ella chews her lip thoughtfully. "Did he cheat on you?" she wants to know. "Because if he did, then you should definitely stay away from him and never take him back!"
I laugh. "No, he didn't cheat," I say, shaking my head.
Ella looks at me, confused. "Then, what?" she asks.
I sigh. "It's a long story and I don't really want to talk about it," I say and she nods, understanding.
We continue talking until our food arrives, the sight and smell of it making my stomach rumble.
Shit, I'm starving.
"So enough about me," I say, taking a bite out of my wrap. "What's happening with you? You are so lucky you're not in college, it's a fucking nightmare!"
Ella laughs. "Well, working is a fucking nightmare," she states. "I'd rather be at home all day." She shifts around. "I, um, I'm dating someone."
I grin. "No way!" I exclaim. "Who?"
"His name's Bryson," Ella tells me.
She starts to explain how they met, how they've been dating for five months now, how sweet he is and I find myself zoning out as I continue eating my food.
I'm brought back to reality when I hear Ella say something that snaps me out of my trance. "What did you just say?" I breathe.
"I think I'm pregnant," Ella says, eyes full of worry.
I open my mouth to say something, but no words come out. "Does . . . does Bryson know?" I ask in a quiet voice.
"No," Ella answers, shaking her head. "I'm scared, Tay. What if he leaves me?"
"Well, from what you've told me about him, he seems like a great guy," I say, reaching over to squeeze her hand in an attempt to comfort her.
Ella sighs and squeezes her eyes shut. "I guess so," she mumbles. "I'm going to do the test first though."
I nod and finish off my wrap before eating my sweet potatoe fries. "You know I had a pregnancy scare," I say, scoffing down my fries.
Ella's eyes grow wide. "Really?" she breathes. She starts laughing. "Imagine how funny it would be if we were both pregnant? Our Mums would flip the fuck out!"
I laugh, imagining the looks on their faces if that ever happened. "It's a good job I'm not pregnant," I mutter, taking a sip out of my glass of Coke. "Damn, those fries were good, I'm going to order some more."
I look up to find Ella squinting at me as she watches me scoff down my steak. "What?" I ask between a mouthful of food.
"Are you sure you're not pregnant?"