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. Riiiiiiiing. Riiiiiiiiing. Hey, you've reached Taylor's phone. Leave a message and I'll-

I turned off my phone with a forceful push of the 'off' button. I slammed the phone on the concrete. I was sitting outside by the side of the pool, my legs dipped in the water. I felt a bit better for a moment before I felt guilty about possibly breaking our house phone. I picked it up again, flipping it over in my hands to make sure it wasn't broken. I had just flipped it on it's back when it began to ring, startling me and making me jump. I clicked it on without hesitation and said a quick, hasty, "Hello?"

"Yo."

My heart sank. It was Belle, not Taylor.

"Hey." I heard noise in the background, and added, "Where are you?"

"My parents decided this morning that we were going to Niagara Falls. I just wanted to let you know. I would have called earlier but we went shopping on the way," she explained.

I sighed. "Okay. When are you coming home?"

"When my mom wants to," Belle replied with a laugh.

I sighed again. "Okay, have fun." I knew I didn't sound like I wished she had fun at all, but I couldn't bring myself to fake it.

"Aw. Don't worry, you won't miss me. You never do, now that you've got your boy toy." I knew she was teasing about the not missing her part; I still spent time with her, and she was always gone anyway. I didn't reply, I just let out a sad laugh. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," Belle said. "Trouble in paradise?"

"I guess."

"So that's a yes. What happened?"

"We had a fight," I answered evasively.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really."

"Okay, but if you need me, you know where to find me."

We hung up soon after and I lay back against the warm concrete, my legs still in the water. I closed my eyes against the glare of the sun, but all I could do was imagine the days Taylor and I had spent here.

Was it over between us? Were we done as quickly as that? I mean, I had been expecting it to be done come summer's end. But I didn't think it would end because I refused to have sex with him. I really didn't think he was that type of guy. I guessed it was too much for him to prove me wrong about that. I shouldn't have even thought about apologizing.

Which made me question, yet again, why I had been trying to call him. I had only called his cell three times and texted him twice, but it still seemed like more than enough, especially considering he hadn't tried to contact me at all since three days prior. But then I thought about it; I had let him get pretty far, and he was a guy. He had the right to be... not mad, but he had the right to be upset. And maybe that's why I was calling, to apologize for letting him go that far. It seemed fair for both of us to apologize. But it didn't seem like that would happen. Maybe this was for the best, that it ended now. I just hadn't wanted it to end like this.

I eventually made my way out of the summer heat and upstairs to my room after grabbing a frozen water bottle. I pulled out The Hunger Games and began to read. I heard my parents come in and yelled a quick hello down to them. They were home for lunch, but would be heading back out soon. After about a half hour, I was deeply engrossed in my reading. I was halfway through the book and about to turn a page when I heard a light knock on my door. I turned, expecting my mom to be standing there with an apple or some other healthy snack she would suggest I have, but instead I saw Taylor leaning against my doorframe, his hands in his pockets.

My mouth fell open slightly before I bit down on my lip and turned back to my book. I marked my page and rolled over. I placed the book on my bedside table and tugged on my ponytail before standing up. I walked over and leaned against the wall, facing him. Our eyes met and I raised my eyebrows, shrugging my shoulders.

"Hi."

I chewed the inside of my cheek irritatedly before replying with a curt, "Hi." I motioned to the stairs. "How'd you-"

"Your mom." I rolled my eyes. Taylor sighed. "Look, Vee, I-"

"Don't call me Vee."

Taylor's eyes widened before he shook his head. "I didn't-"

"I really didn't think you were the type to leave because I didn't want to sleep with you." I watched Taylor's facial expression change from apologetic to confused, and then angry. He took a step into my room and closed the door behind him, before taking a step towards me.

"You think that's why I'm upset?" he said, his eyebrows raising. He crossed his arms over his chest. I shrugged, and he continued, his voice rising. "I'm upset because even after all this time, after me proving to you that I'm not that guy, you still don't trust me."

I scoffed, narrowing my eyes. "I have to prove I trust you by having sex with you?" I hissed, lowering my voice. "How does that make sense?"

"Ronnie." Taylor ran a hand through his hair frustratedly. The look on his face made my insides lurch, and the way he barely breathed my name made butterflies erupt in my stomach. "Didn't you not want to sleep with me because you're afraid that's all I want before I leave you?"

My stomach flipped as I suddenly realized why this whole thing was happening. Taylor thought I didn't want to sleep with him because I didn't trust him, when that wasn't the reason at all.

"I didn't want to sleep with you, Taylor, because it didn't feel right," I said gently. My voice was calmer, and quieter now. "I mean, I guess, yeah, that was part of the reason... But it's a special thing for me, okay? As lame as that sounds. It's not that I don't trust you. It didn't feel right, and yes, I guess you're right. You're leaving, and I don't want to give myself away for a summer romance."

Taylor rubbed his jaw. "After all of this, you still think it's just going to be a summer thing?"

I shrugged hopelessly. "What else can it be?" My shoulders sank back against the wall and I looked at the floor. "I'm going to Thunder Bay. You're going to Edmonton, for crying out loud." My voice grew quiet. I had finally said what we had been thinking all along, what we had been afraid to say. I closed my eyes, but they shot open as I felt Taylor take a step closer and brush my cheek with his thumb before he cupped my face in his hands. Without hesitation, he pressed his lips to mine.