25. Taylor

Taylor

" A re you sure this is a good idea?"

My truck bumps and rattles along an icy, snow-covered path as we snake our way up the mountain, 'Bad Blood' by Bastille filtering through the speakers. The main road ended a few miles ago, giving way to nothing but trees as far as the eye can see. If it weren't for Salem telling me where to go, I would have driven off a fucking cliff. Thank fuck for the four-wheel drive.

Opening her mouth, Salem pauses. "No."

She's in the passenger seat, feet resting on my dash. Christian's snowmobiles are in the bed of my truck, shifting and creaking with every divot and bump we hit.

"But you wanted a chance to talk to him, right?" She looks over at me, waggling her brows as she sinks into her fur-capped winter coat. "Bridge those gaps? "

"Yeah, but I was thinking somewhere more...public." My gaze sweeps out over the mountainous terrain. "Not an isolated cabin in the fucking woods. Do you want us to kill each other?"

Her lips smack as she scoffs. "Nonsense. Logan and I will be there the entire time."

Right, because it's Logan's family cabin we're driving to for what was supposed to be a romantic Valentine's weekend for the two of them. But at the last minute, Logan declared that Huckslee was having a hard time with his dad's surgery, even though it went well, and that he'd be coming, too. So, naturally, Salem invited me as well. Without telling anyone. Because I desperately want to talk things out with Huck, and what better place to do that than in the middle of nowhere, apparently?

"Speaking of Logan." The truck bounces off a chunk of ice, making me wince. "He still mad at me for kissing him?"

"He was never mad. More confused than anything."

A laugh leaves my shivering lips. "Confused? About what? He liked it?"

"No, dumbass." She hits me on the shoulder. "About Huckslee. He doesn't know the full story about you two. Seeing his best friend act that way made him worry."

"Ah." An uncomfortable feeling that I'm unwilling to process settles in my stomach, so I shoot her a devilish smirk. "I don't hear you saying he didn't like it."

"Shut up and watch the road before you hurt the snowmobiles or kill us."

"Priorities," I snort, but close my mouth when another deep dip has us nearly hitting the roof. Light snowfall has started, but luckily, it isn't long before we're curving a bend, and the cabin rises up in the distance at the mountain's base.

It's your typical A-shaped log structure, with a covered front porch and a cute circular window above it. The entire front wall is glass, and fat puffs of smoke rise up from the chimney. Aspens and pine trees surround it, giving it a picturesque look, complete with an irate Logan standing on the porch with his arms crossed over his red winter coat.

He watches us rumble up to a stop, and he's already speaking before Salem opens her door to jump out.

"...said you were borrowing Taylor's truck, not the whole Taylor."

She lifts her chin up at him. "You brought your best friend, so I brought mine."

I wince as they glare at each other, rolling down my window so that I can open the driver's side door because the inside handle doesn't work. "Look, if it's too much trouble, I'll-"

"You shut the fuck up," Salem points at me, reaching in to grab her backpack off the floor, "if Huck can be here, so can you."

Logan pinches the bridge of his nose. "His dad just had surgery, Salem. He needed some space to deal with it."

Suddenly, I feel like a piece of shit. What the fuck am I doing here? Logan's right; Huck is dealing with some heavy stuff, and I want to bombard him with our problems? I really am a selfish bastard.

"Look, it's fine," I start, jumping out of the cab. "Let's just unload the snowmobiles for you guys, and then I'll go. Pick them up on Monday. "

Salem shakes her head, pausing to protest when the screen door creaks. Huckslee exits onto the porch wearing a light blue beanie that matches his hoodie, his hair curling over his ears.

"What's going on?" His gaze finds mine, those dark eyes looking so miserable that it hits me in the chest. Fuck, even sad, he's adorable. Makes me want to make him hot chocolate and shit. Tuck a blanket around him. Sit on his face.

"Just dropping off the snowmobiles," I mumble, feeling around my denim jacket for a pack of smokes before cursing myself for running out.

The truck door slams as Salem comes around to my side. "Taylor, you don't even know the way back. You'll end up at the bottom of a river or something. Just stay."

"Nah, I can swim," I grin, hoping it's convincing. She's absolutely right, though. I don't know how I'd make it back if I had to leave, especially with the snow getting heavier now, covering up our tire tracks. But I'd figure it out if need be.

"This is ridiculous," she continues angrily, and I cringe because I can sense one of her meltdowns coming on, "it's not fair that Huck's allowed, but you're not. If I'd have known-"

Huckslee cuts her off with a sigh of resignation. "Shut up and get inside before you both freeze to death, fucking hell."

He spins back into the cabin, Logan gazing after him with a frown as Salem hums triumphantly. She marches up the cabin steps to follow Huck without even looking at her boyfriend, the tension between them palpable.

Great . More shit I'm probably ruining.

Getting my own bag from the truck, I climb the steps but pause when Logan's hand touches my arm .

"It's nothing personal, okay?" His golden brown eyes hold mine with sincerity. "He's just having a tough time. I don't want him to...you know."

Involuntarily, I take a step back as if he slapped me. My chest tightens painfully, and I drop my gaze to the floor, fingers in my free hand curling. He doesn't want Huck to spiral again. And he's worried my presence will set him off.

I am such a piece of fucking shit.

"I'm sorry," he says softly, studying my face, "it's not that I'm blaming you or anything. It's just when the two of you are together..."

Nodding stiffly, I step away from him. "Yeah. I get it. No worries. I'll try not to be a problem."

He tries to say something else, but I ignore him and open the screen door instead. Because what else is there to say? I get it. Huckslee and I are fucking toxic together. Which is precisely why I'm addicted to him.

The heat from inside hits me instantly, warming my bones, and I stomp my snow-packed boots on the rug before sweeping my gaze around. The ceilings are vaulted, with a brick hearth in the living room and a loft above where the bedroom is located. A small kitchen sits in the back, complete with a two-burner stove, a small sink, and a fridge. The round wooden table near the bathroom is big enough to play a card game or two. It's cozy, inviting, and also hella small.

"So where is everyone sleeping, Salem?" Logan asks with barely contained irritation. "There's only one bed and one couch."

Eyeing the soft-looking plaid sofa, I shrug as I set my bag down. "I'm fine on the floor. "

"We can switch off between the couch," Huck offers, sitting at the table without looking at me, and Logan rubs the back of his neck.

"Or we can switch off between the bed?"

Salem huffs. "Or we can all four just sleep in the bed together."

That earns her a look from all of us, causing her to roll her eyes. "What? It's a King. Not like we wouldn't all fit."

Yeah, right.

Masking a snort, I cough as I head to the fireplace to warm my hands. "I'm fine on the floor, really. You know that, Salem. No worries."

It's the second time I've repeated that phrase, but in all honesty, there's a fuck-ton of worries because this cabin is smaller than my apartment, and Huckslee is so close I can smell the aftershave he uses. It's spicy and intoxicating.

Salem grabs her backpack and stomps angrily up the stairs, grumbling while awkward silence settles over us.

Shifting my shoulders uncomfortably, I stuff my fists into my pockets. "So what now?"

Logan only responds with a sigh.

"What were your plans gonna be before we interrupted," Huck asks, sounding slightly off, but I force myself not to look at his face.

"Make dinner, have wine, and play a game."

"Sweet." Unbuttoning my jacket, I pull it off my shoulders. "No point in changing up plans now. What are we cooking?"

About an hour or so later, after an awkward dinner full of cringe-worthy small talk, Salem and I stand at the sink doing dishes while the other two search for a game to play .

"There's the usual stuff in here," Logan calls from the closet next to the bathroom. "Monopoly, clue, picture book. What do we want?"

Honestly, all of that sounds boring as fuck, and I can tell Salem agrees by the breath of annoyance shooting from her nostrils.

"Strip poker?" I toss out, earning a ‘ haha ' from the closet. Glancing over my shoulder, a grimace pulls at my mouth when I see Logan about to grab Monopoly, but then Huck grabs something off the shelf and holds it up.

"What's this?"

Logan takes it, squinting down at some sort of card game. "Never Have I Ever?"

My fingers snap together twice. "That's the one, we're playing it. Bring it out."

"We can turn it into a drinking game," Salem gasps, and I smirk down at her as I dry my hands on a towel.

"You sure about that, Sally Mal? Because you and I will lose."

"It won't matter if you lose or not," she waves me off with a flick of her wrist. "I'm the one in danger."

"Okay, true."

The skin on the back of my neck prickles, and I turn to see Huck standing close behind me, bouncing his gaze between us with a frown.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Salem raises a brow but busies herself with pouring the wine, leaving me to answer.

My tongue darts out to lick my bottom lip. "I'm two years sober. "

Surprise flickers in his starry eyes, followed by something I don't have time to decipher before he locks his emotions down tight. "How are you going to play a drinking game if you're sober?"

"With hot chocolate." Lifting the box of Swiss Miss with a crooked grin, I give him a wink as I get my mug ready.

When we settle down into a circle in front of the fireplace, Logan's rubbing the back of his neck again like he's uncomfortable, shooting Salem little glances under his lashes. I feel slightly bad for the guy, ruining his romantic monopoly plans, but come on. What's so sexy about corporate greed and tax evasion? Nothing, that's what.

Salem pushes the box of cards towards me, curling her legs beneath herself. "You start."

"K." Flipping open the box, I pull out the first card and stare blankly at it for a long moment, blinking.

What the fuck?

"What?" Huck raises a brow at me. "What does it say?"

"Uh," clearing my throat, I read the card aloud. "Never have I ever kissed someone of the same gender?"

"Shut up, it does not say that." Salem snatches the card from me, a wild laugh bursting from her lips when she reads it. "It sure as shit does."

Huckslee's gaze meets mine before sliding away as we raise our cups to take a drink. Salem doesn't drink, and we all stare at Logan momentarily, waiting. He looks around at us, confused before the realization hits, and he lifts his cup with a scowl.

"Screw you, Taylor," he mutters, sipping, and a snicker leaves my throat .

"Aw, was I your first?"

From the corner of my eye, Huck's jaw tightens.

Logan takes the next card, frowning down at it. "Never have I ever had sex in a car? What kind of game is this? I don't even remember ever seeing this here."

He raises the box to check the back of it as the rest of us drink, a giggle shaking Salem's shoulders.

"Who stayed here last?"

"My parents," he grumbles, and she snorts.

"Your parents are freaks, babe." Reaching over, she grabs the next card from the box. "Never have I ever done oral. Hmm."

"Like, giving or receiving?" Huck asks absently, and I try to shrug nonchalantly.

"Both?"

Again, Huck, Salem, and I all drink because it doesn't specify, but what gets my attention is Logan sitting there with his lips pressed together. Huck notices, too, because he does a double take, and I see Salem gazing at him with narrowed eyes.

"Wait," I choke out, shaking my head. "What? You've never given or received oral?"

His cheeks turn red, but Salem aggressively shoves the box toward Huck. "I'm establishing a no-elaborating rule. Next question."

Huckslee picks up the next card, his eyes widening to the size of saucers as he reads it. His lips sort of part, like he can't believe what he's reading.

"N-never have I ever done anal," he stammers, not taking his attention off the card, and Salem laughs .

"Okay, but same as the oral question. Given or received? I feel like that's more of an important distinction here."

"Fine, we'll do one at a time." Huck sets the card down. "Never have I ever, uh...given anal?"

Huck, Salem, and I all drink, and the way Logan gapes at Salem has me cracking up.

Huck asks the next question. "Never have I ever received anal."

Raising my hot chocolate to my lips, it takes me a minute to notice I'm the only one drinking. Salem's smirking, of course, but Huck looks at me perplexed.

"Oh, come on," I gaze back at him in disbelief. " Never? "

I already know anal isn't Salem's thing, but Huckslee? He's never really...?

His lips curl into a sneer. "What, because I'm gay means I automatically like dick in my ass?"

Logan coughs as I drop my gaze, mumbling unintelligible words into my cup as he pushes the box back to me.

With heated cheeks, I read off the next question. "Never have I ever touched a member of the same gender on the genitals."

Salem snorts, and I stare at Huck over my cup as we drink, remembering a deep pool and steamy shower. He meets my gaze, eyes darkening.

Logan turns to me in surprise. "That's unexpected. Taylor, are you...?"

My attention snaps over to him, and I freeze, realizing what he's asking. Huckslee does, too, because he's suddenly searching my face intently, waiting for an answer. My pulse quickens .

"We said no elaborating." Salem gestures at him to take the next card, glancing at me sideways, and if Huck wasn't still staring a hole in my head, I'd mouth her a thank you.

"Never have I ever had male genitalia in my mouth." Logan grimaces. "Why did they word it like this?"

Both Salem and Huck drink, and I raise my hand to Logan with a grin. "Yeah, up top. We win."

"I'm not high-fiving you over my girlfriend having your dick in her mouth," he deadpans, shocking the fuck out of me while Salem chokes on her wine.

Blinking at him, my lips twitch. "Yeah, like, years ago."

Literally, before she got with Logan, Salem was with a guy for almost a year who wasn't interested in sharing. We haven't done anything together other than kiss on the cheek in like three years. And honestly, even if they didn't work out, I don't think I'd be interested in her like that again. Mainly because my head is full of someone with dark brown eyes and soft, blond curls…

Salem gives Logan a curious look, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol as she picks up the next card. "Never have I ever made love."

Her gray eyes grow sad at that, making my heart clench. We both raise our cups to drink because we did at one point love each other in the romantic sense, but as Logan's cup remains in his hands, it hits me why she seems upset.

"Wait, wait." I glance between them, vaguely realizing that Huck didn't raise his cup either. "Logan, what are you trying to say?"

"Drop it, Taylor." Salem gazes down at her cup forlornly. "No elaborating, remember? "

"No, I want to know." The broken look on her face is setting me off, and I round on her boyfriend. "You don't love her?"

The blood drains from Logan's face as he gazes up at me, terrified. "Of course I do!"

"I don't understand." I shake my head, but Huck is suddenly in my face.

"How come he's the only one who has to explain his answer?" His breath is hot on my face as he glares down at me. "If he has to explain, then so do you."

"Fine." I throw up a hand to Logan with gritted teeth. "Which question do you want me to elaborate on?"

Huckslee whips around to his best friend. "The one you were going to ask him earlier. Ask it."

His tone is harsh, and Logan glances between us, clearly uncomfortable, but I already know what he's going to ask before he opens his mouth.

"Taylor, are you bi?"