Everything seemed to be going so well for Taylor. More than well if she was honest with herself.
No one knew at work that she and Reed were dating and she wanted to keep it that way for the moment. But they were definitely in a relationship and one where she could see all those dreams starting to resurface again.
Even though Reed and Angie seemed to hit if off well over a month ago, it was still too early to get her hopes up for anything permanent. Or so she was trying to tell herself when her heart raced with excitement every time she thought of the future.
“I need a favor,” Wendy asked her when they were in the office.
“What’s that?” Taylor asked.
“Can you go buy me something at the drug store on the corner?”
Taylor looked up quickly at the change in Wendy’s tone. “Sure. Is everything okay?”
“I don’t know. I’m having a panic attack right now. I thought I could hold off, but I can’t. I just can’t.”
There were tears in Wendy’s eyes. “What’s going on?” Taylor asked, standing up and walking over to Wendy.
“I’m late.”
“Late for what?”
“Late,” Wendy whispered. “My period. I’m never late.”
“Oh,” Taylor said, feeling sympathy but not wanting to admit that. Wendy still didn’t know about Angie.
Wendy pulled money out of her wallet. “Can you go buy me a pregnancy test? I can’t go in there. They know me. Everyone knows me in there. I don’t want anyone to know. They don’t know you.”
Taylor understood more than she cared to acknowledge. “Sure. I’ll go do it now. Take a deep breath and relax.”
“Easy for you to say. I just started dating Robbie. I can’t get pregnant now. We’re only having fun. So stupid to forget my pill one day last week. I thought it’d be fine.”
“I’m sure it will be. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Taylor grabbed her purse and left, then made her way to the drug store, walked down the aisle and purchased the one that she’d used. She wasn’t sure if that was bad luck or not, but she knew it was accurate, so why not? It’s not like she was going to tell Wendy that.
She was standing in line when someone walked in. She didn’t know who he was, but he looked familiar. It wasn’t until she was back at the office and handing over the kit that she realized he’d had a Chapman Construction shirt on.
She hoped to hell he didn’t notice what was in her hands because he’d spent longer than normal staring at her.
***
“Reed, wait up.”
Reed turned to see Josh running up to him. “What’s up?”
“I just saw that new girl in accounting in the drug store. What a looker she is.”
Here comes Josh the gossip train. Which was why Reed still hadn’t told him about his relationship with Taylor. It was a good thing or Josh would have gone up to her and said something in the store just to be cute.
“Yeah, so?”
“She must have some guy in her life.”
“What makes you say that?” Reed asked. He’d been half paying attention as he looked over blueprints, but now his radar was rising.
“Because she had a pregnancy test in her hand.”
“What?” Reed asked. He was pretty sure all the color drained from his face because he sure the hell felt lightheaded just now.
“She was in line with a pregnancy test in her hand,” Josh said again.
“Did she say anything to you?” Reed asked.
“Nah. She looked at me like she might have recognized me, but probably not. It’s not like I’ve talked to her much. I only see her in the building now and again.”
“Maybe you got her confused with someone else,” Reed said, hoping to hell that was the case.
“Nope. I don’t forget a face. She shares an office with Wendy. She’s always quiet. She’s got a guy’s name, right?”
“Taylor,” Reed said.
“Yep. That’s the name Wendy told me. I’ve asked about her before, but Wendy says there isn’t much to say about her. Guess she doesn’t keep to herself as much as Wendy thought if there might be a bun in the oven.”
“Finish up looking at these prints for the guys before they start. I’ve got something to do,” he said, just walking away from Josh. If he didn’t leave right now, he might say something stupid.
Instead he drove to the office feeling more rage than ever before.
Was Jack right? Had this been a ploy all along for Taylor to get pregnant and trap him and he’d been too much of a fool to see it?
For weeks now he’d been having flashbacks of memories with Whitney and stuff he’d missed. And for as angry as he’d been back then, he was happy now that things worked out the way they had.
Not that he’d wish death on anyone, even in those dark thoughts he’d had years ago. But going through what he had made him realize what he was missing and what he’d hoped to find with Taylor.
Only now as he came to an abrupt stop in the parking lot, he realized he’d been the idiot all along again. That he’d been blinded by love and was going to be played a fool for a second time in his life.
He took a few deep breaths and then made his way to her office, not even caring if she wasn’t alone or didn’t want a scene.
“Reed,” she said, looking up fast. “Can I help you with something?”
“Yeah. We need to talk.”
She hesitated for all of a few seconds, looked at Wendy and must have realized he wasn’t going to leave. Might have something to do with his red face and clenched fists. “Sure.” Once they were in his truck, she said, “What’s going on? I can tell you’re pissed and I’m the reason and frankly I don’t care for it.”
It might be one of the worst things she could have said to him. “You don’t care for it. How about me finding out from someone else that you’re pregnant!”
“What?” she asked, her face showing a lot of shock and he was guessing it was guilt.
“I was just told you were seen buying a pregnancy test. Why couldn’t you tell me that you might be pregnant?”
She lifted her chin, her face as red as his. Yep, guilt. That’s what he saw. He’d seen it before when he’d catch Whitney in lies, only he never knew they were lies back then. Not until he replayed so many things in his head after she’d died.
“And you’re going to believe what someone else tells you. Someone that I’m sure doesn’t even know me since I don’t talk to anyone nor does anyone know about us unless you’ve been running your mouth.”
He stopped for a second. Was he wrong? No, he wasn’t. He couldn’t be. “Were you or weren’t you buying a pregnancy test within the last hour?” he asked firmly.
She opened the truck door. “Yep, I was. Since you’re ready to point a guilty finger at me, then you can go to hell.” She stopped and turned after she’d stepped out of his truck. “You know what? I thought you were different. I thought you believed and trusted in me, but all you saw was that I’ve got a child already and you’re ready to believe all the bad over the good. I’ve been right all along. Men suck!” She slammed his door and marched back to the building.