Taylor’s POV
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Climbing out of the 4x4 I laugh as Matthew instantly pulls me into him, kissing me as Jay parks up behind us. Matthew makes a point of pulling his hands through my hair, the ringlets he says are adorable. He chuckles at my scarf and I laugh along with him, telling him that at least it's keeping me warm. He retorts saying only I could make a scarf look sexy. I playfully swat him with my hand.
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"Ready to go raid Ross' place" Rach laughs getting out of the car, she sighs looking at us engulfed in each other's arms.
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“We are not raiding, I have keys” I tell her laughing as I walk over to the large porch and up the steps in my boots.
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“What’s the plan tonight then” I say bravely, stealing a glance at Jay as his eyes flick up from my thighs. He brushes his blonde hair back telling himself to focus.
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“Well I suggest we all go out to a university party” she exclaims and I sigh.
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The door clicks open and I eye the open plan living space, a large open fire with a mantelpiece holding candles and framed pictures of our group of friends. The room is decked out with cream sofas and a huge flatscreen. The oak floor complimented by the serene natural walls. Heading up the winding oak staircase, I wander around the first floor eyeing the different rooms noting how they all have fireplaces and traditional decor. High ceilings set off the rooms; and as I stroll past the bathroom directly next to Ross’ bedroom I notice a large freestanding tub. Fancy yet practical.
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Walking into Ross’ room with the others I notice Matthew strolls straight over to his large wooden dressers and grabs several pairs of Calvin Kleins and socks. I retrieve a large duffle bag from Ross wardrobe briefly staring at his casual clothes, they remind me of him and I smile. Pulling out a tan jumper I fold it and place it in the bag, next I grab some black chinos and fold them carefully placing them into his bag.
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“Taylor you’ll be smelling his clothes next” Jay chuckles in my ear.
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“Stop it you, I just appreciate nice male clothing.” I laugh, I am not imagining wearing Ross’ check shirts, not at all.
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Taking a few pairs of soft jogging bottoms I fold them nicely and place them into his duffle bag, with a matching Tommy Hilfiger hoody.
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Rachel is busy looking at the photos on his wall. There's a whole bunch of group shots from before I knew him and I glance over and smile at how young and cute Ross looks in all of them. Kind blue eyes, always the centre of his friendship groups.
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"Hey do you remember this one" she says to Matty pointing to a picture of Matty and Jay in Ross' kitchen both holding beers together. Jay has his arm around Matty like they are brothers and they both are wearing no shirts. Jay has less tattoos in the picture and he looks happy and carefree. Matty looks drop dead gorgeous. His hand is mid way through his hair and he's smiling.
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"Ah you both look so young" I laugh smiling at them.
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"Yeah that was what two maybe three years ago" Matty chuckles. I glance up at Jay and he smiles back at me openly. Why I yearn to see more pictures of him in his younger days baffles me entirely, I stare back at the picture feeling him watch me. They were clearly drinking underage, Rachel has her hair in pigtails. Jay looks friendly, his smile is easy going rather than calculated. His blonde hair cut slightly shorter, he looks like the kind of boy I would have been very shy of when I was younger.
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Pulling my eyes away from young nice Jay, I spot another picture. I follow Matty's eye line and see a group picture of all of us, I’m sure it was taken the night after my first date with Matthew. Admittedly I look hot in my prada dress, and I don't recognise it as me. Posed in between Ross and Matty, I’m wearing a huge smile on my lips. Matthew has his arm around my back. Rach is standing next to Ross on the other side.
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"That's a lovely picture of you" Matthew says softly.
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"When was this?" Jay asks laughing slightly, eyeing me in the picture.
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"And why wasn't I invited?" He laughs.
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"This is the first and only time I went to one of Ross' parties" I say looking up at him.
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"And it's the time you gave Matty that lap dance" Rach laughs encouragingly.
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"So it is" Matthew remembers smiling.
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"That dress” Matthew smiles looking down at me as I blush.
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"If you guys come out tonight maybe you could both give us lap dances" Jay says including Rach and she smiles.
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"Good try" I snort.
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Heading over to the mantelpiece in Ross room, I eye the bookcase directly next to them. He has the classics, I pick out wuthering heights. When I flick through it I notice he has put his own notes in the margins. I start reading his notes unaware of the others around me. Ross is bright, he likes reading into little things and he's got a depth to him. I find myself sitting in his leather chair by the fire with the book.
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Rachel’s voice distracts me briefly as she goes on at Jay about something and I glance down at a journal. Leather bound, wrapped up with a pen on top. It would be overstepping to read his writing and so with much hesitation I stand up looking into the empty fireplace and the pictures surrounding the mantelpiece.
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Matthew places his hand on my lower back.
"He wanted a book" I say quietly as he strokes my back.
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"What did you pick" he asks softly.
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"Wuthering heights" I tell him smiling to myself as Matthew wraps his arms around my waist.
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"Wuthering what now?" Rachel laughs out loud.
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"It's a classic" Jay says to her absolutely flabbergasted and she sighs. He shakes his head laughing.
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“It is a classic” I say looking up at the large bookcase and admiring the sheer amount of books here.
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Matthew turns me to face him and smiles eagerly.
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“You like the books,Taylor” he smirks and I laugh slightly.
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“I love books” I smile, Jay watches me just before I kiss Matthew’s lips softly.
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“Oh what’s this” Rachel snickers looking at the journal that I had spied earlier. She holds it in her hands, flirting with the opportunity of reading in on Ross’ inner thoughts.
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“We don’t open it” Jay says to her, and she smiles.
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“We shouldn’t Rachel” I warn her as Matthew kisses me again.
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“Can we just make sure we tidy up a little for when he returns home too” I add before Matthew crushes his lips into my own again.
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Rachel undeterred by our warnings unravels the leather cord holding the book together. Strutting around the room she has a little read of his writing and I begin to wonder what he may be writing about. I come to the conclusion that it must be notes on university work.
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“Well” she sighs, about to delve into the gossip.
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“Well well” she says staring at me and smirking. I feel my skin heat up and I’m sure I turn a glorious shade of pink. It cannot be about me, surely, Jay sneaks a cheeky glance over her shoulder and sighs rolling his eyes.
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“It’s pages and pages” she giggles flicking through.
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“Poems and whatever they’re called” she laughs.
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“Sonnets” Jay says to her and she rolls her eyes at him.
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“Eyes that shine like the deepest blue oceans and hair that flows down her back in curls… Ivory skin which is entirely unblemished shining radiantly as she smiles… a smile that is both warm and friendly, yet distant and mysterious” Rachel paraphrases him.
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“Stop” I say uncomfortably, turning away from them.
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“It’s all about you Taylor” she says not listening, flicking through the pages.
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“Just stop” I say again.
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“That could be about anybody” I tell her regaining my composure as Jay eyes me with concern. I take the journal off of her and wrap the cord back around it. Setting it down on his arm rest.
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“Just saying I’d be pretty stoked if somebody wrote me poems” she laughs hand on her hips, unsure why I’m so angry. I can feel the heat rise inside of me and I count up to twenty and down again. Mostly I’m utterly embarrassed, and also totally guilty of possessing him so entirely that he feels the need to write about me.
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“We didn’t read his journal” I say to her and she smirks.
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“Honestly that’s a massive intrusion of his personal space” I say and she snickers hands in the air.
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“Take it as a compliment, Taylor” she laughs as I head out of his room, leaving my embarrassment and anger behind as I skip down the staircase ahead of the others. On that bombshell I believe it’s time for us to leave and so I stand out on the porch and wait for the others to be ready.
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Jay brushes past me and strides straight over to his Audi, Rachel in tow. Matthew takes my hand in his as we walk over to the 4x4, holding the duffle bag with Ross’ belongings.
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Once we’re on the road again, passing the suburban houses that are much like Ross’ I turn to Matthew and he eyes me cautiously.
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“I’m an awful person” I tell him softly as he eyes me an expression of anger falls over his face as he disagrees with me.
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“It was about me; and I had no idea. I just broke his heart and then he crashed his fucking bike after writing me over a hundred pages of stuff” I say annoyed at myself.
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“It is not your fault if somebody likes you that much that they do something like that for you” he explains softly.
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“It is not your fault that it was snowing and he was driving on an icy road in the dark” he explains placing his hand on my thigh and smiling.
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He smirks over at me when I grow silent, and I laugh slightly at his expression.
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“What was it? Eyes that shine and something about the ocean” he laughs and I slap his knee.
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“Deepest blue oceans” I correct him as he laughs, head swinging back.
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Matthew indicates into the hospital car park, I count down from twenty just one more time and resume my normal mood. Once we’re in a bay he kills the engine as Jay parks up next to us.
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“Second car journey check” Matthew smiles over at me as he steps out in the snow. His arms go around me and he kisses me passionately.
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"You two are coming out tonight" Rach demands coming up behind us and smirking.
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“You need interaction with other human beings you’re too clingy to each other” she laughs and I scoff.
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"You promised me cocktails soon" she laughs when she sees my face and the confusion all over it. Anticipating that there will be no easy way out of this, I hold onto Matthew’s hand and smile.
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"Okay how's about we buy some stuff on the way out of hospital to make actual cocktails with" I say eyeing Jay quickly.
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"See perfect" Rach says smiling over at me.
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"Where is the party anyways?" Matthew asks Jay hooking his arm around my neck and shoulders as we walk.
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"Ryan's again" Jay says, eyeing me.
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Sending off a quick message to Rhea I glance at my phone as she replies instantly telling me that she will be there later with a thousand kisses at the end of her message. Mentally going through my wardrobe, I pick out a few items and settle on the idea of leather trousers as it is snowing. Stilettos, I’ll manage, and a low cut top I recently purchased from Fendi. It’s a knock them dead top, which shows far too much cleavage considering the company I’m going to be around.
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"Rach, do you wanna get ready together?" I ask her attempting friendliness. Rachel is a nice girl, she just gets carried away I tell myself. She did not mean anything by reading the journal earlier, she just wanted to be nosey.
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"Hell yes, we can practice making our cocktails too" she laughs beaming at me.
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"I'll just need to pick up some stuff and then head to yours?" She says nudging Jay to get involved in the plans.
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"I'll take you" Jay says to her, rolling his eyes. His stare settles on me briefly before looking away.
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"I have to ask is Jen going" I say quietly, mainly to Jay who seems to know the whereabouts of every single woman in California.
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"We haven't seen her in a long time" Jay says reassuring me, his tone is so caring that it takes Rachel by surprise as she looks up at him.
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“Either way we will have a great time” Rachel beams at me.
