***Taylor's POV***
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Justin Teller is watching me. Again. I look up from my book, I headed to the library to study because Jay has politics and I'm not a politics major. I have no desire to sit and drink coffee today so I found myself browsing the fiction aisle.
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I collided with him to be fair. I was walking through the stacks transfixed by the books and all of the ones I wanted to read, holding three or four in my arms looking down at them when I walked into him, literally. He was doing the same and our books fell to the floor. I glanced down at the books scattered at our feet. He picked them all up from the floor, and I thanked myself mentally for painting my toe nails.
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His stare lingered briefly on my bare legs in my blue shirt dress as he stood back up. His cheeks flushed under his lightly olive skin. His smile warm and inviting if a little shy and embarrased. I take in his rolled up sleeves and the collection of bracelets he has on, he's got a few wire bracelets and tie up bands presumably for his longer brunette hair. A wristband from a recent gig that's he's been too.
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I asked him where the gig was and who he saw, he admired my smile returning it with his own explaining that he had been backstage. Turns out Mr Justin Teller, tall dark and handsome, very much plays guitar can sound check all live gigs and tends to do that on the side of his English major studies. An interesting thing to find out. It was a local acoustic gig, like an open mic where you can put your name down and play. He told me that I needed to come along next time. It was just short of asking me out on a date.
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Since our brief encounter, from his seat across the library he has been occasionally looking at me and I have been pretending that he isn't. His white shirt is unbuttoned just enough and his sleeves are roughly rolled up. He's reading and taking notes, and occasionally watching me.
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I check my phone for Jay but he's still in lectures and hasn't messaged me. I settle back into my book, concentrating on the story and how it has been linked together.
I glance up again and his eyes meet mine, they are like chocolate. I briefly remember that he has actually seen my breasts, when we were at a party and Rach dared me to flash. I go bright red and look away. Back at the book. Anywhere but his eyes, and his olive skin.
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I'm concentrating and this is fine. Totally. A hand rests down next to my book and my eyes travel up the arm of the person who is resting there. All the way up to those chocolate eyes.
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"Taylor" he says quietly and I look at him.
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"Yes" I utter.
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"Wanna check our books out and go and grab some food" he smiles easily.
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I check the time and my phone for Jay, he's messaged telling me that he has about an hour left so I message back that I will be with the others, not just Justin.
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"Sure" I smile at him.
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"I'll cook this time. Nate and Rach are at dorms I think" he smiles.
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I stand and we walk together heading to dorms.
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"I just figure you always end up cooking for everyone. I can make spaghetti Bolognese or chilli" he smiles.
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I chuckle he really is a sweet guy.
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"Anything is fine by me" I smile.
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We walk through dorms and he stops at his door heads in and returns with his guitar which he passes to me smiling.
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"You know people by the way they play musical instruments" he laughs seeing my expression of glee. Looking at his black acoustic guitar I see that he has his capo on and it is tuned to drop D. Interesting. I follow him into the kitchen, holding his guitar. I begin to wonder what songs he has been playing and whether he sings.
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Justin starts cooking and I join the others.
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"Hey Tay" Rach smiles
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Nate smiles. Rachel is resting on his knee.
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"Are you going to serenade us" Nate asks
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"I hope so" Justin laughs facing his pan and stirring.
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"What would you like to hear" I ask laughing.
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Justin turns around pushing his sleeves up. His expression is serene as he assesses me.
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"Surprise us" he suggests.
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I have a think and start playing randomly. I always do that until I get inspiration. I'm getting a feel for his guitar. After a few bars I'm lost in the timbre of it. It has a rich warm tone. I start playing wicked game singing along quietly.
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Once I'm finished I glance up at Justin who is watching me even more intently.
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"That was...stunning" he smiles.
"I like your version more than all of the covers I've heard" he says.
Nate rolls his eyes laughing.
"This guy" he says chuckling, he goes to help Justin move the food to the table and I get the impression they are more like brothers than friends. In the way their eyes meet I can tell that they know each other well, and have known each other for years. Nate claps Justin on the back smiling, I can see that Nate is the extrovert and Justin is the quiet one.
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He puts the rice on the table with a serving spoon and the chilli. Justin follows him over to sit with me. I place the guitar down gently and smile over at him, there is that intense stare again. I'm going to have to do something about that.
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Just as I'm putting rice on my plate the door opens. We look up expectantly and I see his blonde hair first, he's carrying his skateboard under his arm. After Ross comes in, looking surprised that I am here, Matty follows in after. He notices me and looks down to his skateboard in his hands.
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Ross comes straight over to me and wraps me in a tight hug, I have to stand up and embrace him back. It feels good to see him and he sits down next to me on my other side.
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I continue plating up my food and Rach stands to get me a glass of wine. Which I didn't ask for but I like her thinking all the same. I accept it gracefully and Matty sits opposite me at the table.
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Seeing him again is always difficult. I remember him so avidly, every nuance and every expression. I know what he's going to do before he does it. How he's going to react to things. He looks up at me with his green eyes and I smile at him whilst eating my food. He returns my smile, like he always does.
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"How's Kim ?" I ask and he watches me, his eyes travelling down from my lips to my neck and chest and then up again to my eyes.
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"She's fine she's got another show that she's planning for" he laughs.
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"Oh can we walk again" Rach asks intercepting our conversation. I almost protest, seeing Kim would be a huge deal for me. A huge memory that maybe I'm not willing to visit just yet.
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"Yeah I'll ask her" he says looking at me. Watching me. Maybe Jay is right, I do seemingly have a few guys watching me. Justin, Ross on my left and Matty smack bang in front of me.
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I continue eating and look away.
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“That’s right you two walked the fashion show, I remember now” Nate says.
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“Hot” he smiles at Rach and I keep my eyes down. No more making eyes with other guys. Any of them. At the fashion show I was dressed as a goddess, Matty and I were together. It was the most revealing outfit I have ever worn.
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Ross has plated up his food and is eating next to me. He always makes me feel instantly relaxed and normal. He's uncomplicated, he looks over at me and smiles.
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"How's your tat" he asks in his normal drawl.
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"Great I think it's almost healed" I smile at him. You cannot not smile at Ross.
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"Ohh let me see" he says.
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I face him and undo a few buttons to move my shirt dress out of the way. There’s no other way of doing it. I thank myself for wearing nice underwear.
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“Nice” he says and he pulls his chair back slightly showing me his leg tattoo which is now unwrapped. It looks great, swirls of vines and tribal patterns contrasting with his tan skin. It suits him.
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“Wanna go again?” He laughs.
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“Yes I’ll go with you but I’m not getting anything else… although” I smile and he turns to me expectantly and excited.
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“I want a new piercing” I say shyly.
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“Oh what do you want?” Rach asks
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“Well I want two” I say.
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“Oh let me guess, you’ve got your belly, nose and ears” she sighs.
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I smile looking up and seeing Matty straight away gazing at me.
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“I want my nipples pierced” I say and let my words hang there in the air.
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“Wow” Ross says gaping at me.
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He recovers slightly. He smiles down at me laughing a little.
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“We could do that” he says clearing his throat.
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“I just want little ones nothing crazy, just a bit of added sparkle” I say and Rach smiles at me.
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“I think you should, that would look great. You’re symmetrical” she laughs sighing.
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“Not all girls are that lucky go for it” she says and she never ceases to amaze me with what comes out of her mouth.
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“Next week?” I say to Ross impulsively and excited.
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“Yep. Let’s also see what’s on” he says and absentmindedly strokes my arm with his hand.
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“It can be my treat this time” he smiles. For a second I think he’s going to kiss me, and I marginally pull back. I can’t resist the proposition of going to see a play.
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“Hey Justin wanna join us for the play, no tattoos or piercings required” I laugh.
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Most guys would be annoyed at me for inviting another guy. Not Ross. He strokes my arm with his fingertips.
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“Of course” he smiles. Not sure how Jay is going to feel about this one.
Ross gets his phone out and searches up the theatre. For the rest of the evening we browse the different productions, getting completely sidetracked each time and talking about the original book.
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I go to join Ross on the sofa looking at his tablet and we narrow it down to our two favourites. Justin just seems happy to be included commenting that he’d be happy seeing either of them. I sip my wine, feeling more than tipsy, I tuck my bare legs up on the sofa to get comfy. Matty is still watching me from the table and I’m blocking him out. His eyes make me feel nostalgic and he knows that. He looks at me like I’m still very much his, his to love and to take home.
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“I think I want to see the women in black” I concur.
Ross strokes my leg smiling. He clicks on it and begins booking it for us.
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“Anyone else fancy it?” I ask looking at Rach.
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“Yeah I’m in” Matty says and I smile at him.
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“God no, although I might join you in getting a new piercing” Rach says.
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I grab my phone from the table feeling slightly tipsy. I walk back over to Ross and Matty joins us. Keeping me steady, not sure why the wine has had this accelerated affect on me. His hand discreetly going to my waist to keep me upright. I remember his hands instantly, how they would hold me and stroke me. I lounge back in my seat with another glass wine.
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“Here I’ll pay you my money now” I say getting up my banking app.
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“Hey no I said it’s my treat you bought the tickets last time remember” Ross says his hand back on me.
“You two however owe me” he laughs at Matty who’s already getting his phone out. He’s sitting next to me, and I peek at his phone screen.
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He pays Ross and then goes to his Home Screen. His wallpaper is a picture I remember and I almost cry straight away. It’s from when we first visited the music shop and where he bought me my eternity ring. We had just had lunch and he told me he wanted to be together officially and that he loved me. I look up from his phone and his eyes are on me.
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“Can I see” I say and he hands me his phone. I look at myself and remember who we were together. I took this picture on his phone. His arms are around me and he’s facing me and not the camera. His lips kissing my cheek and I’m smiling at the camera. I remember the feeling of sheer ecstasy at being with him finally and it is captured in my eyes.
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“I remember this moment” I say looking at him. Ross is talking to Justin about the play and they’re having a debate. His hand is still rested on my thigh and I reposition myself to move him. Knowing that letting him do that gives him the wrong idea. I cross my legs and pull my skirt down slightly.
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