Things Change

Unlike Gwenn, the next month for me flew by. Giroux was coming up for at least one night a week, so in between his little visits I had a lot of work to do and couldn’t really concentrate on my social life. I talked to both Taylor and Claude on the phone almost every single day, I felt really bad for not telling Taylor but he was coming into town soon so I was hoping I would be able to get a few things off my chest.

Gwenn texted me and told me that Jordan is all moved in and settled for the summer and that I should come over and hang out with them, I quickly agreed and headed over to her place. We ate junk food and watched tv all night, we caught up on the past month, Jordan told us many game stories that were actually very interesting.

Just then my phone rang it was Taylor “Heyyyyy” I said very excited, I must have been just caught up in the moment of hanging out with Gwenn and Jordan.

“Where are you” Taylor said all seriously

“I’m with Jordan and Gwenn, why?”

“Fuck! I came into town to surprise you but you weren’t home, so now I’m standing outside your building.”

“OHH MY GOD! I’ll be right up!” I hung up the phone and looked at Gwenn and Jordan “TAYLOR’S HERE!” I screamed in excitement as I was running out the door.

I got there and sure enough he was standing right outside my building. I ran up to him and kissed him, we quickly made our way inside my apartment, “Hey Taylor” one of my roommates said while giving me an odd look. He said hello back as we were entering my room, we shut the door and locked it. We began to mess around, but I was feeling guilty.

“Taylor, there is something I need to tell you.”

“What can be more important than this right now?” he said kind of frustrated

“Well you see I kind of have a friend that has been visiting, and well you know.”

“So you’ve been sleeping with someone else? Brooke I didn’t figure either of us would stay faithful, a girl in my building has been coming over to see me all the time, so it’s really no big deal.”

“I guess we are even then.” I said as I pushed him back on to the bed and continued from where we had left off.

The next few days we hung out and toured the city lots, it was nice to be finally spending some time with him.

One morning I took a shower and as I was drying off I heard my phone ring, Taylor was in my room, and it wasn’t like him to answer my phone but all of a sudden I heard:

“What the fuck do you want?”

Oh sweet Jesus I thought, it must be Claude. Oh fuck this isn’t good.

I quickly dried off and ran into my room just as Taylor was hanging up the phone.

“Claude’s been the one that has been visiting you?” He said very angrily

“Umm, well yeahh.” I managed to spit out awkwardly

“Oh my god Brooke. I don’t even know what to say to you right now.”

“Well me either! So I’m just going to get ready and go to class so we can both cool off a little bit. “

I headed to class and I couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened so of course I called Gwenn and told her everything. She said that I should just go home after class and hear what Taylor has to say. I couldn’t concentrate during class, all I could think about was getting home. The walk there seemed to take forever!

Once I got there he was laying in my bed watching tv. It was kind of awkward for a minute until I finally spoke up. “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you it was Giroux, but you were cool with me fucking any other guy, I don’t really understand why you are sooooooo upset.” I always felt like I was the one apologizing first but I couldn’t stand the tension any longer.

“ I know, I’m sorry too, I just hate seeing you with him, he seems like such a douchebag.”

“I don’t want to sound like I’m defending him but he is actually really nice and caring, he just acts tough around the boys I guess, hockey player thing.” I didn’t want Taylor to have so much hate towards him.

“I kind of get that, I feel like I act differently around you then I would with ebs or something, like I wouldn’t be like Jordan lets go out and eat somewhere nice, like I’m asking you right now?”

“Awe you’re to cute, can we just go to like pizza hut though, I don’t want to get all dressed up.” I said in a whiny tone

“Sure that sounds perfect.” As he leaned in and kissed me.

We went out and ate, best meal ever! We walked down to the walking bridge and just sat there and looked out at the river, it was so peaceful, yet the thoughts in my head were a mess. We walked back to my apartment and went to bed, we watched tv and cuddled for a while.

He began to kiss my neck, “Brooke, I have something to ask you.”

“Jesus Christ the way you just said that it sounds like you are proposing.” I was kidding of course, I needed to lighten the mood cause I hate serious conversations.

We both laughed a little bit “Seriously though, I think you should come back to Edmonton with me and stay for the summer.”

Holy shit was all I could think. I didn’t know how to react, what to say, I could barely even look at him, thank God he was the next to speak.

“Like I get that you are all settled here and stuff and that you go home and work for your dad in the summer, but there is a Home Hardware like two blocks from where I live, I know you could get transferred there, after all you are a paint expert.”

I felt like he was making fun of me, but I take my job very seriously and I can pretty much tell you about any product we carry. I defended myself by saying “shut up Taylor, I am an expert!”

“Really Brooke, it would be perfect, Jordan is out here for the summer it would just be you and me. Think of the fun we would have. Technically you don’t even need to work, let’s face it I play in the NHL, I’m anything but poor.”

“I hate depending on other people, my parents pay for my education which drives me crazy so that is why I work, so I can try and get ahead of them.”

“I understand, so what do you say Brooke, want to come live out west for the summer, you can move out the second exams are done, so like 2 weeks?”

Holy fuck, holy fuck HOLY FUCK. I was massively panicking, I knew I had to tell him, I just didn’t know how well he was going to take it. I took a deep breath.

“Ummm, that sounds so good Taylor, and it’s so nice of you to even think of all of this but I’m already going to Philly for the summer…”