THE PEACEMAKER
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"You fall, you rise, you make mistakes, you live, you learn. You're human, not perfect. You've been hurt, but you're alive. Think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive--to breathe, to think, to enjoy, and to chase the things you love. Sometimes there is sadness in our journey, but there is also lots of beauty. We must keep putting one foot in front of the other even when we hurt, for we will never know what is waiting for us just around the bend."
--Unknown
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Zac found himself in the studio on Monday. He wasn't really sure why. He usually took the time off around this time of the year, but he felt the need to go in and tie up a few loose ends before the holiday. Plus it gave him an excuse to sneak out for Kate's Christmas gift.
He was surprised to find Isaac sitting in the office, clicking around on his computer. Taylor's absence was slightly alarming. Taylor NEVER took a day off.
"Uh, where's Tay?" Zac asked.
"No idea," Isaac murmured.
"Is he even here?"
"Nope. Probably for the better."
Zac narrowed his eyes and pulled a chair next to his brother. "This ought to be interesting."
"Look, I don't know the details. All I know is that when he brought Winn home Saturday night, they got into it, presumably about me, and he said some things that were completely out of character for him."
Zac sat back in the chair, trying to take it all in. "They were fine when they left my house..."
"It apparently didn't stay that way."
"So, what, they had a fight and she just came crying to you or something?"
Isaac shook his head. "No. Showed up at her house yesterday afternoon and when she didn't answer the door, I went around back and found her sitting on her back porch. She looked horrible."
"Well--well, what did he say?"
Isaac sighed. "I don't know. She's under the impression that he doesn't like the fact that she likes me--THAT'S a no-brainer. But then something was said and he brought up her fiancée cheating on her. She thinks that he implied that she was to blame for it."
Zac's heart sank. "Oh shit, Ike. No. He really went there?"
Isaac nodded. "According to Winn." Then he turned his chair around to face Zac. "I can deal with him talking smack about me or whatever. I don't care. But he hurt her. He REALLY hurt her. She's confused and she's devastated and that's just not her. She doesn't deserve to have to sit there and feel that way. And it pisses me off. So, yeah, it's probably better that I don't see him today."
"Ike, he's your brother--"
"That doesn't excuse his actions!"
"Well--maybe you're not getting the whole story--"
"No. No, she adores him. She wouldn't have instigated anything, she couldn't even say anything bad about him when she told me about it. She's heartbroken. She told him she never wanted to see him again. Dammit, Zac, even when he fucks up like this I feel like I still can't compete. I'm not--I'm not Tay, I can't BE him."
"But you can be there for her," Zac observed.
"Yeah. Yeah, of course I can."
"You really care about her, don't you? Like, this isn't even about you anymore, is it?"
Isaac sighed and took off his glasses to rub his eyes. "It's been years since I felt this way about anyone."
Zac sighed and studied his brother for a moment. "She's changing you."
Isaac looked up at his brother. "I like who I am when I'm around her."
"You're different when you're not around her, too, though. I can see it. And it's good. You're more relaxed."
"I feel different. I like it, she makes me feel...human. You know? I actually--I actually feel a sense of purpose. I feel..."
"Happy?"
"Like I'm somebody."
Zac sighed in defeat. "Look, I probably shouldn't be telling you this. Tay and I had a little heart to heart Saturday night. Ike, I think he--I think he really loves her. Like, I think he's seriously in love with her."
"Then why the hell won't he--?"
"Because he's struggling. He's afraid to ruin their friendship--"
"Well, he already did that--"
"And he's afraid to ruin his relationship with you. Which, well, I mean look at it now. It's not in the best of shape as it is."
"Zac, I don't--"
"He's afraid he'll lose everything if he tells her. And he knows she likes you and--and, really, I don't know what his intentions are anymore. He's really struggling with it. And I really think you should just--"
"Zac, even if I gave her up, I can't MAKE her love him the way he wants her to. I'm not willing to lose her JUST because he feels some way about her. I'd like to think that if she felt the same way about him that she wouldn't be spending all her time with me."
"But what about YOUR relationship with him? You guys used to be so close."
"Tay and I haven't been close for a couple years..."
"I just--I think he needs you, Ike--"
"Well, I can't help him."
Zac's eyes hardened and he stood up from his seat. "Blood is thicker than water, Ike. And I believe that he might be willing to give up the woman he loves for you. Do you have any idea what that must feel like?"
Isaac's fist pounded his desk. "I DO know what that feels like! I know EXACTLY what it feels like! You think this whole thing isn't one big episode of deja vu for me? Well, I'm sorry, Zac. But Winn is the best thing that has happened to me in years, whether she knows it or not, and I'm not willing to give that up. And as long as she still wants to be with me, I'm not letting her go. Look, I'm sorry that he didn't have the balls to make the move when he had the chance. That's not my problem. You snooze, you lose, right?"
Zac could only look at him. He knew what was going on. It was painfully obvious that he missed his brother and it was even more obvious that he was still reeling from the Kate ordeal. Except that hadn't gone quite like this. The thing with Kate was pretty cut and dry and there was no gray area. Zac had stopped feeling guilty about it a long time ago. He hated that Isaac had been so unhappy over the years, but this new...thing, whatever it was, that he had going on with Taylor was getting to be a little too much. Maybe, in a sense, Isaac and Taylor were struggling with the same thing. They both wanted the woman, they both wanted to salvage their relationship with each other. Difference was, Isaac was a little more ruthless about staking his claim.
Zac shook his head. "Blood and water, Ike. And Winn is a human, not an object. It'd be good to remember that."
And with that, Zac left the building without getting the first bit of work done.
*******************
Zac drove straight to Taylor's house. If he had gotten into it with Winn as bad as Isaac said he did, and it resulted in Winn not wanting to see him again, then he couldn't be in good shape. The truth was, Zac had never seen Taylor really react over any woman before. He'd never known him to love one. So the truth was, he didn't know what to expect. But what he DID know was that Taylor was passionate and soft-hearted and he was likely beating himself up.
Taylor's house was much too big for a single man. It boasted four bedrooms, an extremely open floor plan with an indoor balcony and a music room that had been previously built on. "The previous owner's fiancée had a band," Taylor had said. "This was the selling point for me." The backyard of the house had a covered patio with a complete fireplace and a pool that Taylor kept up but hardly used.
When he had shown his brothers and Kate the house before he bought it, Zac had commented, "Why is this place up for such a quick sale? Is it foreclosed on or something?"
"Nope," Taylor had said proudly. "The owner decided to up and move to Malibu on a whim. It was my understanding she was hardly home anyway."
"Malibu, huh?" Zac had said.
"Yeah...apparently she and the fiancée split up and she was ready to start over somewhere else."
"You know why too much about this person's personal life," Zac had said.
Taylor had just continued to smile proudly. "I like to know what my house has been through. Anyway, it worked out in my favor. I didn't even have to see it to know it was for me."
"It's awful big for one person," Zac had observed.
"Sure, it's roomy. But someday I'll have a family and then I won't have to move to accommodate. This isn't just a house, Zac, it's a lifetime investment."
Except that had been four years ago. And Taylor was still single and still spending the majority of his time holed up in his sound proof music room.
So imagine Zac's surprise when he rang the doorbell and Taylor actually answered. He hadn't expected that he'd be able to hear it. As he figured, Taylor looked pretty rough.
"Did you sleep?" Zac blurted.
"Been trying to," Taylor commented.
"Can I come in?"
"Yeah. Sure."
Taylor stepped aside to let Zac inside and he didn't make it past the foyer before he started his interrogation. "So what happened Saturday night?"
Taylor stopped and stared at Zac for a moment. "So, what, now every time something happens between us, she just runs to Ike and he makes it all better? I mean, how the hell do you guys always know everything?"
Zac sighed. "It's not--it's not like that--"
"Then tell me what it IS like."
"I don't know, I guess--he just--he went over there yesterday and the subject came up. He said she was looking pretty rough and he asked her what was wrong. Look, that's just--that's not even the point. I came over here to check on you."
"Well you checked on me and here I am."
"Tay, come on."
Taylor sighed and Zac followed him to the couch in the living room. Taylor flopped down on it, exasperated. "I blew it, man. I completely blew it. It's over. Ike wins. I just--I just hope he treats her right."
Zac looked at him. He had no words. He didn't want to sit there and pit his brothers against each other but the truth was, he was concerned about the both of them. This woman made them both happy in different, but similar ways, and it was getting to the point where even Zac didn't know what to say anymore. He hated to see Taylor throw in the towel like that but at the same time, he really enjoyed Isaac's presence lately. And that was because of Winn. So what gave here? Finally, Zac sighed back at him. "I just--I just don't understand anymore..."
"It's pretty simple, really. I love her--" Taylor stopped himself and widened his eyes at Zac. "I--I love her..."
"I thought this was a known fact?"
His brother looked back at him, helpless. "I don't know where to go from here. For just a couple short months, my life finally had meaning and now, I just--I just don't know anymore. I--I love her, she--she hates me, has a thing for him and--and my own brother has it out for me and--Zac, all I did was love her. I don't--I blew it. I just--I blew it, you wouldn't believe the things that came out of my mouth the other night. I can't even
believe it."
Zac watched as Taylor looked around the room in a daze. It was apparent that this was the first time he had said any of this out loud. "Tay, what did you say?"
Finally, Taylor looked at him. "It was horrible. It was like, I don't know, another person just took over my body and--"
"You obviously let too much build up and it all bubbled over and spilled out," Zac said. "That's ultimately what happened. That's how I figure it, anyway."
"Well--I mean, I guess, but it's not an excuse...I mean, I said--I said Ike was only nice to her so he could get into her pants."
"Come on, Tay. You and I both know that's pretty much the tru--"
"Except I don't think it is anymore. I mean, she's--she's good for him. Even I see it..."
"She's TOO good for him."
"It doesn't matter. The bottom line is, she doesn't like me as more than a friend. But she likes HIM. And I should only want her to be happy. Instead, I just shit all over it. She said she was an excellent judge of character. I said she was such an excellent judge that her fiancée felt the need to cheat on her."
"Tay...tell me you didn't..."
Taylor hung his head. "That was what did it. Next thing I know, she's saying she misjudged me and that I'm a selfish jerk and she understands why I'm single. But maybe she's right, you know? Maybe I am a selfish jerk..."
"No. You are the most selfless person I know."
"Then why doesn't she love me?"
Zac's heart broke for his brother. He didn't have an answer. He didn't know Winn like Isaac and Taylor did. Hell, he didn't really know Winn at all. He had only exchanged numbers with her because she'd gone out with his kids on Saturday night.
"Anyway," Taylor continued, defeated. "It doesn't matter. She threw me out of her house. Her exact words were 'don't show your face here again.' But, Zac, that's the only place I ever want to be."
"Well, that's not--that's not exactly saying she never wants to see you again."
"Yes, it is."
"Maybe--maybe she just said it in the heat of the moment. Why don't you just talk to her? Apologize. Tell her you didn't mean it?"
"I think I should quit now. I think I just need to leave it alone. It would be better for everyone. Besides, she won't return my calls or texts anyway. I've already tried."
"You know where she works. She can't run from you there."
Taylor shook his head. "No. I can't bother her there."
Finally, Zac just had to say it. "Tay, you can't give up. You just can't. I mean--yeah, I love you and Ike both. I do. And, yeah, Winn IS good for Ike. He's come a long way in a short period of time. But I've seen you and Winn together and it's a completely different thing. You BELONG together. It's meant to be and I'm sorry that she doesn't see it now but eventually she will."
"I appreciate that, but it's really too late."
"No, it isn't. Look, I'm not saying Ike is wrong or you are wrong and I'm trying really hard not to pick sides here. But to be honest, I'm the one here who's married. And I like to think I know something special when I see it. And I know love when I feel it. And I promise you, my daughter doesn't call her Aunt Winnie for nothing. Maybe she knows something that the rest of us don't. I don't know. But all the signs are pointing to you and Winn, Tay, and if you love her, you HAVE to tell her. You can't keep everything bottled up like this anymore."
"Thank you for coming by and checking on me. I appreciate it, I really do. But I think I'd really like to just be alone right now."
"Tay..."
"Please."
There was nothing else Zac could do. No words of wisdom. No brotherly advice. Nothing. Defeated, Zac walked out of Taylor's house and left the driveway.
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"Okay," Winn said as she gathered up the things she needed to chase her accounts. "I have four people I'm seeing and then I'll be back. Steph, you go ahead and get your chases together now, Charles you be ready with yours when I get back. My phone will be on, call me if you need me. We need a big afternoon. I shouldn't be gone more than an hour, okay?"
Her staff had been more receptive and motivated lately and Winn was grateful for it. With all the stuff that was going on in her personal life, she certainly didn't need to come to work and deal with even more stress.
She wrapped her scarf around her neck, tied the tie on her coat, and walked out the door with her clipboard and handbag. She was surprised when Zac called to her from across the street. "Winn! Hey, hold on a second!"
Confused, she opened her car door to put her things inside and waited for him to cross the street. "Hey," he said as he trotted up. "Taking the rest of the day off?"
"No," she said warily. "I have to see a few of my accounts at their homes. Is everything okay?"
"Oh. Well, I won't hold you up too long, then. But, uh, no, no, everything's not really okay. I just left Tay's house."
Winn sighed, exasperated. "Zac, I really don't have time for--"
"Just--just hear me out. Okay? He's a mess. He's--he's beating himself up, he didn't even show up for work today. He just--I don't know what happened between you two after you left my house and ultimately, it's none of my business. But I do know that he is SO sorry and he regrets every bit of it and--"
"I appreciate what you're trying to do for him," Winn said. "And it's unfortunate, the way things went down. He was the best friend I ever had and I--I miss him terribly. I do. But the things he said to me and the accusations he made just--I'm a very forgiving person. I don't hold grudges. But he just--I thought he was someone different than the person I saw that night. I was very disappointed in him and he hurt my feelings. I feel like I've been made a fool out of. And I don't like that. If he decides he wants to apologize, then he can. But that's on him. That's not something you have to burden yourself with."
"But, Winn, he's my brother. And when he hurts, I hurt, and--"
"So are you blaming me?"
"No. No, nobody's blaming you for anything. He knows he was wrong, he just--I'm worried. And he needs reassurance--"
"Why should it come from me when HE was the one who was wrong? He's just going to have to take responsibility for his actions. If he wants reassurance, the first thing he's going to have to do is earn my respect back. And that's even if I want to speak to him at all."
"Winn, come on. You're best friends--"
"Were," she corrected.
"Here." Zac pulled a random receipt out of his pocket and plucked the pen that Winn didn't realize she was holding out of her hand. He scribbled something on it and handed them both back to her. "That's his address. He seems to be holing himself up at home, I don't know how long it'll last. Anyway, do with that what you want to. Uh, thanks for taking a moment to talk with me. Have, a, uh, have a good rest of the day."
And with that, Zac bounded back across the street.
In that moment, holding Taylor's address in her hand, it dawned on her that she had never even been to Taylor's house. But why should she make the first move? She hadn't been wrong. This wasn't her responsibility to fix. It had been two days and Taylor hadn't--well, that was wrong. He had called. And he'd texted. And Winn hadn't responded. Hell, maybe at this point, the ball WAS in her court. But still. It was just too soon.
*****************
By Wednesday night, Winn made a decision. She had spent Monday and Tuesday evenings with Isaac, having dinner and watching movies, but it wasn't the same. Isaac was her friend, but their friendship didn't hold a candle to the way she felt when she was with Taylor. Taylor had been her best friend. Isaac was her friend, just--the bond just wasn't the same. The truth was, she missed Taylor so much it hurt sometimes. She had to admit, she had no idea what the source of Taylor's anger had been Saturday night. Maybe she'd been right when she said that he saw Isaac differently than she did. She didn't know. But what she did know was that she wanted her best friend back. And if the ball was in her court, then she guessed she eventually had to play it.
Before work that day, she had prepared a chili to slow cook in the crock pot while she was at work, going home during lunch to check on it and make the necessary adjustments. Now, she pulled up in Taylor's driveway as it sat in the floorboard next to her in an insulated travel bag, along with a grocery bag containing beer, tortilla chips, and a brownie mix. It was dark outside, but she could still see the size of the house. She had to admit, she was surprised to see such an impressive residence. She wasn't sure what she expected. Something much smaller, she knew. Maybe not as small as hers but, hell, even Isaac lived in a modest condo. It seemed odd, Taylor in his huge house and Isaac in the condo. Based on their personalities, it should have easily been the other way around. Was this just one more side of him she didn't know? Was this going to be another surprise? She could have fit at least two of her small, humble lakehouses into Taylor's one huge two-story.
Standing at his door, between her own handbag, the heavy crock pot bag, and the grocery bag, she wasn't sure how she was going to manage to ring the bell. Finally having to lean into it and press it with one of her free knuckles, she accomplished her mission and then she waited, her heart pounding and her nerves soaring.
She nearly leaned into it to ring it again when she heard the locks disengage and Taylor opened the door a crack and peeked around the corner. Her breath took for a second as his eyes widened and he opened the door wider. His appearance caught her off guard. Zac hadn't been kidding. Apparently being a hermit caused Taylor to just abandon all methods of grooming. The scruff on his face could have been cute had it not been so unruly and she didn't even want to mention his hair. His eyes were tired and he looked just generally exhausted. None of it, however, made his blue eyes any less beautiful.
But remembering Saturday's argument still caused her to be a little cool toward him. After all, she wasn't there to apologize to him. She was there to give him the opportunity. If anything, she was doing this for Zac--whether she missed Taylor or not.
"Winn," Taylor said, breathless.
Winn took a deep breath. "So I spoke to Zac on Monday. He seems to think you're barely taking care of yourself and he's concerned. So I brought you a chili recipe that my mom taught me. Where's your kitchen?"
He blinked at her for a moment before he stepped out of the way of the door. "Uh, just straight through here. You, uh, you need me to help--?"
"No," she said curtly as brushed past him, stepping off the foyer and heading straight for the kitchen.
She tried not to notice the size of his kitchen. The cabinets that seemed to reach all the way up to the tall ceiling, the black, marble top island with the bar stools, the state-of-the-art appliances. She sat the stuff down on the marble top and unzipped the crock pot bag as she searched for a plug-in below the marble, finding success on the other end of it. As she slid the bag over, she tried to ignore Taylor's eyes on her.
"So, uh, if you don't mind, I'm just gonna hop in the shower real quick," he said nervously. "I, uh, wasn't expecting company."
Winn nodded. "Sure, do whatever you have to do."
As he walked away, she searched his kitchen for the things she needed. She found a spoon to stir the chili and decided it needed a few minutes to sit before it was ready to be served. She put the beer in the refrigerator and then she leaned against the island and stood there, looking around. This house wasn't her style but she felt comfortable there. Was it because it was Taylor's house? Was it because, despite whatever argument they'd had, they still had that unmistakable bond that came so far and few between? Winn didn't know. But she looked around in disbelief, wondering why he had chosen to spend so much time in her tiny, second-hand, ill-repaired house when he had all of this to come home to.
As she gazed out of the wide kitchen doorway and into the living room, she became enamored with a window that lie beyond the couches in the living room. It was a tall bay window that matched another bay window that partnered it on the other side of a rounded stone fireplace. The windows themselves sat sunk behind a wall on the other side of the foyer and the particular window she found herself enamored with was tucked in a corner of the room, not too far away from the obscenely large TV that hung on the perpendicular wall.
Before she realized it, she was walking through the living room and standing in front of the window with the seat in the bottom of it, and she was gazing up at how high the ceiling went until it turned into the indoor balcony, when she heard Taylor's voice from behind her. "The windows down here and upstairs let in an abundance of natural light. It's one of my favorite features of the house."
She turned around and he stood on the other side of the room, clean-shaven and in fresh clothes. He looked like him again. "I can't believe you never put a Christmas tree up," she said quietly. "Do you have any idea what kind of tree you could put in this room? In front of this window by the fireplace is the perfect place for one."
In a blur, Taylor crossed the room and wrapped his arms tightly around her, hugging her close to him. "Winn," he whispered into her hair. "I am so sorry. Please, you have to believe me."
Suddenly, Winn burst into a gut-wrenching fit of sobs that she supposed she'd been holding in for the past couple of days. She hung onto him for dear life and she could feel her own tears soaking through the material on his shoulder. "I missed you," she sobbed.
She heard him sniff as he cleared his throat. "I missed you, too," his voice cracked. "Please forgive me."
Then she got her bearings. She sniffed and wiped her nose and deliberately pushed him away from her. "How could you say such awful things to me? I could understand if--if maybe I had been a bitch to you or something, but you just--you laid into me out of nowhere, it was like I didn't even know you."
Taylor ran a hand through his hair and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I don't know, I just--maybe I misunderstood what you said about Ike, I don't know, but the way I heard it, he pulled one of his usual stunts and you were just gonna go right back to it and--and I got angry because you just--you don't deserve that, you know?"
"But you didn't listen. Because if you had, then you'd have known that I was in the wrong there, not him. I jumped to conclusions, I was the one who didn't listen--"
"But, Winn, he still lied--"
"Sure, the action wasn't exactly admirable, but then he told the truth and the truth was, he was trying to do something nice for me. His lie wasn't malicious. And I'm okay with it. Why can't you be?"
"Because I don't want to see you get hurt."
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "But--but he didn't hurt me. YOU did."
And then they came full circle. He was hugging her again and she was crying again. "You're my best friend," she sobbed. "You're not supposed to hurt me. You're supposed to support me and--and be my friend!"
"I know," he said, pulling away and taking her face in his hands. He wiped her tears with his thumbs. "I know. I swear to you I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean anything that I said. I promise you, I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you if I have to. I just want you to be happy. That's all."
"But I AM happy, Tay," she barely creaked out. "I am happy. I like Ike. And he likes me. And he really is a good person and--and you're just wrong about him. I just--I don't understand why you can't be happy for me."
Taylor searched her eyes and bit his lip. He shifted his weight and he took in a breath. "Because, Winn, I lo--" He closed his mouth and he looked at her harder, more calculating. "I--I am happy for you, Winn. I am."
"Are you sure?" Her voice creaked out.
"Yeah," he nodded. "Yeah, of course I am. You're my best friend."
"I just want us to be normal again," she sniffed.
"Me, too."
"I brought you dinner," she said, attempting a smile.
Taylor smiled back, his blue eyes sparkling. "It smells amazing."
"It's my mom's family recipe, I haven't made it since I moved. Are you hungry?"
"Starving."
That night, Winn felt so much better as she laughed and talked with Taylor over her mother's chili. She impressed him with her newfound beer expertise and he took her on the grand tour of the house. Upon asking him why he always came to her house as opposed to her coming to his, his response was simply, "Because I like how cozy yours is." She had smiled and accepted the answer.
*****************
When Winn got in her car and buckled her seatbelt, she got out her phone and she texted Zac, "Thank you for giving me that little extra shove the other day." And then she dropped her phone in her lap and she headed home.
When her phone rang, she smiled, expecting to tell Zac that she and Taylor had made up. Instead, it was Isaac. Cheerfully, her mood much brighter than it had been earlier that week, she answered, "Hey! What's up?"
"What are you doing?"
"Driving home."
"From where?"
And then, suddenly, and she didn't know why, she hesitated on telling him that she'd been at Taylor's house. So she simply replied, "Dinner."
There was a pause for a moment and then he replied. "Okay. So, uh, listen, you remember Kelsey, right? From Sunday?"
"Yeah, sure, of course I do."
"Well, she ended up with a couple of tickets to the Thunder game Friday night and, uh, she asked me if I wanted to go."
Winn blinked at her windshield, only now noticing that it was starting to sprinkle outside. "She--she asked you? If you wanted to go?"
"Yeah."
She wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. She had only met Kelsey Sunday night--while she was out with Isaac. And by out, she meant OUT. You couldn't mistake that Winn and Isaac were OUT. TOGETHER. And now she's asking him to go to a basketball game? Knowing...?
"Winn, she's only my friend," Isaac's voice interrupted her thoughts. "We haven't seen each other in ages."
"No, yeah," Winn said. "Yeah, it's--it's fine, it's--yeah..."
"I just wanted to make sure it was okay with you. It's just--it's supposed to be a really good game. And she offered them to me to take you but I just assumed you weren't into basketball, so..."
"You never asked me if I liked basketball," she said quietly.
"Oh. Well...do you?"
"No."
"Then I was right. See, I already know you so well."
She could hear the smile in his voice but she wasn't feeling it on her end. "So...she didn't ask you, you asked her...?"
"Well...I mean, I guess, essentially, yeah. I mean, it's just a ballgame, I don't HAVE to go..."
"No, it's--it's fine, it's--you don't even have to ask me, I mean, she's your friend and that's your team and stuff and--and you should go. I want you to go. And have fun."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure. If--if it's some big important game or something like you said it is and you have the means to go, then go. Don't miss out on the opportunity."
"Uh, uh, okay. Good, I just--I felt like I should run it by you--"
"No, you don't have to run things by me it's not--we're not--we're not like that, you know?"
"Yeah..."
"So, uh, look, I'm almost home and I have a few things I need to haul inside, so. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay? Sweet dreams tonight."
She hung up the phone and then she drove. She was only about halfway home, but Isaac didn't know that. As the rain fell harder against her windshield, she wasn't sure what to think. So he was going out Friday night. He was going to participate in an activity that he enjoyed with an old friend. An old, pretty, female friend. And he had agreed to go with her before he'd even brought it up to Winn. Which, in essence, was perfectly fine since he and Winn weren't in a committed relationship.
But still...how did she feel about this?
--------------------------------
"You fall, you rise, you make mistakes, you live, you learn. You're human, not perfect. You've been hurt, but you're alive. Think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive--to breathe, to think, to enjoy, and to chase the things you love. Sometimes there is sadness in our journey, but there is also lots of beauty. We must keep putting one foot in front of the other even when we hurt, for we will never know what is waiting for us just around the bend."
--Unknown
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Zac found himself in the studio on Monday. He wasn't really sure why. He usually took the time off around this time of the year, but he felt the need to go in and tie up a few loose ends before the holiday. Plus it gave him an excuse to sneak out for Kate's Christmas gift.
He was surprised to find Isaac sitting in the office, clicking around on his computer. Taylor's absence was slightly alarming. Taylor NEVER took a day off.
"Uh, where's Tay?" Zac asked.
"No idea," Isaac murmured.
"Is he even here?"
"Nope. Probably for the better."
Zac narrowed his eyes and pulled a chair next to his brother. "This ought to be interesting."
"Look, I don't know the details. All I know is that when he brought Winn home Saturday night, they got into it, presumably about me, and he said some things that were completely out of character for him."
Zac sat back in the chair, trying to take it all in. "They were fine when they left my house..."
"It apparently didn't stay that way."
"So, what, they had a fight and she just came crying to you or something?"
Isaac shook his head. "No. Showed up at her house yesterday afternoon and when she didn't answer the door, I went around back and found her sitting on her back porch. She looked horrible."
"Well--well, what did he say?"
Isaac sighed. "I don't know. She's under the impression that he doesn't like the fact that she likes me--THAT'S a no-brainer. But then something was said and he brought up her fiancée cheating on her. She thinks that he implied that she was to blame for it."
Zac's heart sank. "Oh shit, Ike. No. He really went there?"
Isaac nodded. "According to Winn." Then he turned his chair around to face Zac. "I can deal with him talking smack about me or whatever. I don't care. But he hurt her. He REALLY hurt her. She's confused and she's devastated and that's just not her. She doesn't deserve to have to sit there and feel that way. And it pisses me off. So, yeah, it's probably better that I don't see him today."
"Ike, he's your brother--"
"That doesn't excuse his actions!"
"Well--maybe you're not getting the whole story--"
"No. No, she adores him. She wouldn't have instigated anything, she couldn't even say anything bad about him when she told me about it. She's heartbroken. She told him she never wanted to see him again. Dammit, Zac, even when he fucks up like this I feel like I still can't compete. I'm not--I'm not Tay, I can't BE him."
"But you can be there for her," Zac observed.
"Yeah. Yeah, of course I can."
"You really care about her, don't you? Like, this isn't even about you anymore, is it?"
Isaac sighed and took off his glasses to rub his eyes. "It's been years since I felt this way about anyone."
Zac sighed and studied his brother for a moment. "She's changing you."
Isaac looked up at his brother. "I like who I am when I'm around her."
"You're different when you're not around her, too, though. I can see it. And it's good. You're more relaxed."
"I feel different. I like it, she makes me feel...human. You know? I actually--I actually feel a sense of purpose. I feel..."
"Happy?"
"Like I'm somebody."
Zac sighed in defeat. "Look, I probably shouldn't be telling you this. Tay and I had a little heart to heart Saturday night. Ike, I think he--I think he really loves her. Like, I think he's seriously in love with her."
"Then why the hell won't he--?"
"Because he's struggling. He's afraid to ruin their friendship--"
"Well, he already did that--"
"And he's afraid to ruin his relationship with you. Which, well, I mean look at it now. It's not in the best of shape as it is."
"Zac, I don't--"
"He's afraid he'll lose everything if he tells her. And he knows she likes you and--and, really, I don't know what his intentions are anymore. He's really struggling with it. And I really think you should just--"
"Zac, even if I gave her up, I can't MAKE her love him the way he wants her to. I'm not willing to lose her JUST because he feels some way about her. I'd like to think that if she felt the same way about him that she wouldn't be spending all her time with me."
"But what about YOUR relationship with him? You guys used to be so close."
"Tay and I haven't been close for a couple years..."
"I just--I think he needs you, Ike--"
"Well, I can't help him."
Zac's eyes hardened and he stood up from his seat. "Blood is thicker than water, Ike. And I believe that he might be willing to give up the woman he loves for you. Do you have any idea what that must feel like?"
Isaac's fist pounded his desk. "I DO know what that feels like! I know EXACTLY what it feels like! You think this whole thing isn't one big episode of deja vu for me? Well, I'm sorry, Zac. But Winn is the best thing that has happened to me in years, whether she knows it or not, and I'm not willing to give that up. And as long as she still wants to be with me, I'm not letting her go. Look, I'm sorry that he didn't have the balls to make the move when he had the chance. That's not my problem. You snooze, you lose, right?"
Zac could only look at him. He knew what was going on. It was painfully obvious that he missed his brother and it was even more obvious that he was still reeling from the Kate ordeal. Except that hadn't gone quite like this. The thing with Kate was pretty cut and dry and there was no gray area. Zac had stopped feeling guilty about it a long time ago. He hated that Isaac had been so unhappy over the years, but this new...thing, whatever it was, that he had going on with Taylor was getting to be a little too much. Maybe, in a sense, Isaac and Taylor were struggling with the same thing. They both wanted the woman, they both wanted to salvage their relationship with each other. Difference was, Isaac was a little more ruthless about staking his claim.
Zac shook his head. "Blood and water, Ike. And Winn is a human, not an object. It'd be good to remember that."
And with that, Zac left the building without getting the first bit of work done.
*******************
Zac drove straight to Taylor's house. If he had gotten into it with Winn as bad as Isaac said he did, and it resulted in Winn not wanting to see him again, then he couldn't be in good shape. The truth was, Zac had never seen Taylor really react over any woman before. He'd never known him to love one. So the truth was, he didn't know what to expect. But what he DID know was that Taylor was passionate and soft-hearted and he was likely beating himself up.
Taylor's house was much too big for a single man. It boasted four bedrooms, an extremely open floor plan with an indoor balcony and a music room that had been previously built on. "The previous owner's fiancée had a band," Taylor had said. "This was the selling point for me." The backyard of the house had a covered patio with a complete fireplace and a pool that Taylor kept up but hardly used.
When he had shown his brothers and Kate the house before he bought it, Zac had commented, "Why is this place up for such a quick sale? Is it foreclosed on or something?"
"Nope," Taylor had said proudly. "The owner decided to up and move to Malibu on a whim. It was my understanding she was hardly home anyway."
"Malibu, huh?" Zac had said.
"Yeah...apparently she and the fiancée split up and she was ready to start over somewhere else."
"You know why too much about this person's personal life," Zac had said.
Taylor had just continued to smile proudly. "I like to know what my house has been through. Anyway, it worked out in my favor. I didn't even have to see it to know it was for me."
"It's awful big for one person," Zac had observed.
"Sure, it's roomy. But someday I'll have a family and then I won't have to move to accommodate. This isn't just a house, Zac, it's a lifetime investment."
Except that had been four years ago. And Taylor was still single and still spending the majority of his time holed up in his sound proof music room.
So imagine Zac's surprise when he rang the doorbell and Taylor actually answered. He hadn't expected that he'd be able to hear it. As he figured, Taylor looked pretty rough.
"Did you sleep?" Zac blurted.
"Been trying to," Taylor commented.
"Can I come in?"
"Yeah. Sure."
Taylor stepped aside to let Zac inside and he didn't make it past the foyer before he started his interrogation. "So what happened Saturday night?"
Taylor stopped and stared at Zac for a moment. "So, what, now every time something happens between us, she just runs to Ike and he makes it all better? I mean, how the hell do you guys always know everything?"
Zac sighed. "It's not--it's not like that--"
"Then tell me what it IS like."
"I don't know, I guess--he just--he went over there yesterday and the subject came up. He said she was looking pretty rough and he asked her what was wrong. Look, that's just--that's not even the point. I came over here to check on you."
"Well you checked on me and here I am."
"Tay, come on."
Taylor sighed and Zac followed him to the couch in the living room. Taylor flopped down on it, exasperated. "I blew it, man. I completely blew it. It's over. Ike wins. I just--I just hope he treats her right."
Zac looked at him. He had no words. He didn't want to sit there and pit his brothers against each other but the truth was, he was concerned about the both of them. This woman made them both happy in different, but similar ways, and it was getting to the point where even Zac didn't know what to say anymore. He hated to see Taylor throw in the towel like that but at the same time, he really enjoyed Isaac's presence lately. And that was because of Winn. So what gave here? Finally, Zac sighed back at him. "I just--I just don't understand anymore..."
"It's pretty simple, really. I love her--" Taylor stopped himself and widened his eyes at Zac. "I--I love her..."
"I thought this was a known fact?"
His brother looked back at him, helpless. "I don't know where to go from here. For just a couple short months, my life finally had meaning and now, I just--I just don't know anymore. I--I love her, she--she hates me, has a thing for him and--and my own brother has it out for me and--Zac, all I did was love her. I don't--I blew it. I just--I blew it, you wouldn't believe the things that came out of my mouth the other night. I can't even
believe it."
Zac watched as Taylor looked around the room in a daze. It was apparent that this was the first time he had said any of this out loud. "Tay, what did you say?"
Finally, Taylor looked at him. "It was horrible. It was like, I don't know, another person just took over my body and--"
"You obviously let too much build up and it all bubbled over and spilled out," Zac said. "That's ultimately what happened. That's how I figure it, anyway."
"Well--I mean, I guess, but it's not an excuse...I mean, I said--I said Ike was only nice to her so he could get into her pants."
"Come on, Tay. You and I both know that's pretty much the tru--"
"Except I don't think it is anymore. I mean, she's--she's good for him. Even I see it..."
"She's TOO good for him."
"It doesn't matter. The bottom line is, she doesn't like me as more than a friend. But she likes HIM. And I should only want her to be happy. Instead, I just shit all over it. She said she was an excellent judge of character. I said she was such an excellent judge that her fiancée felt the need to cheat on her."
"Tay...tell me you didn't..."
Taylor hung his head. "That was what did it. Next thing I know, she's saying she misjudged me and that I'm a selfish jerk and she understands why I'm single. But maybe she's right, you know? Maybe I am a selfish jerk..."
"No. You are the most selfless person I know."
"Then why doesn't she love me?"
Zac's heart broke for his brother. He didn't have an answer. He didn't know Winn like Isaac and Taylor did. Hell, he didn't really know Winn at all. He had only exchanged numbers with her because she'd gone out with his kids on Saturday night.
"Anyway," Taylor continued, defeated. "It doesn't matter. She threw me out of her house. Her exact words were 'don't show your face here again.' But, Zac, that's the only place I ever want to be."
"Well, that's not--that's not exactly saying she never wants to see you again."
"Yes, it is."
"Maybe--maybe she just said it in the heat of the moment. Why don't you just talk to her? Apologize. Tell her you didn't mean it?"
"I think I should quit now. I think I just need to leave it alone. It would be better for everyone. Besides, she won't return my calls or texts anyway. I've already tried."
"You know where she works. She can't run from you there."
Taylor shook his head. "No. I can't bother her there."
Finally, Zac just had to say it. "Tay, you can't give up. You just can't. I mean--yeah, I love you and Ike both. I do. And, yeah, Winn IS good for Ike. He's come a long way in a short period of time. But I've seen you and Winn together and it's a completely different thing. You BELONG together. It's meant to be and I'm sorry that she doesn't see it now but eventually she will."
"I appreciate that, but it's really too late."
"No, it isn't. Look, I'm not saying Ike is wrong or you are wrong and I'm trying really hard not to pick sides here. But to be honest, I'm the one here who's married. And I like to think I know something special when I see it. And I know love when I feel it. And I promise you, my daughter doesn't call her Aunt Winnie for nothing. Maybe she knows something that the rest of us don't. I don't know. But all the signs are pointing to you and Winn, Tay, and if you love her, you HAVE to tell her. You can't keep everything bottled up like this anymore."
"Thank you for coming by and checking on me. I appreciate it, I really do. But I think I'd really like to just be alone right now."
"Tay..."
"Please."
There was nothing else Zac could do. No words of wisdom. No brotherly advice. Nothing. Defeated, Zac walked out of Taylor's house and left the driveway.
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"Okay," Winn said as she gathered up the things she needed to chase her accounts. "I have four people I'm seeing and then I'll be back. Steph, you go ahead and get your chases together now, Charles you be ready with yours when I get back. My phone will be on, call me if you need me. We need a big afternoon. I shouldn't be gone more than an hour, okay?"
Her staff had been more receptive and motivated lately and Winn was grateful for it. With all the stuff that was going on in her personal life, she certainly didn't need to come to work and deal with even more stress.
She wrapped her scarf around her neck, tied the tie on her coat, and walked out the door with her clipboard and handbag. She was surprised when Zac called to her from across the street. "Winn! Hey, hold on a second!"
Confused, she opened her car door to put her things inside and waited for him to cross the street. "Hey," he said as he trotted up. "Taking the rest of the day off?"
"No," she said warily. "I have to see a few of my accounts at their homes. Is everything okay?"
"Oh. Well, I won't hold you up too long, then. But, uh, no, no, everything's not really okay. I just left Tay's house."
Winn sighed, exasperated. "Zac, I really don't have time for--"
"Just--just hear me out. Okay? He's a mess. He's--he's beating himself up, he didn't even show up for work today. He just--I don't know what happened between you two after you left my house and ultimately, it's none of my business. But I do know that he is SO sorry and he regrets every bit of it and--"
"I appreciate what you're trying to do for him," Winn said. "And it's unfortunate, the way things went down. He was the best friend I ever had and I--I miss him terribly. I do. But the things he said to me and the accusations he made just--I'm a very forgiving person. I don't hold grudges. But he just--I thought he was someone different than the person I saw that night. I was very disappointed in him and he hurt my feelings. I feel like I've been made a fool out of. And I don't like that. If he decides he wants to apologize, then he can. But that's on him. That's not something you have to burden yourself with."
"But, Winn, he's my brother. And when he hurts, I hurt, and--"
"So are you blaming me?"
"No. No, nobody's blaming you for anything. He knows he was wrong, he just--I'm worried. And he needs reassurance--"
"Why should it come from me when HE was the one who was wrong? He's just going to have to take responsibility for his actions. If he wants reassurance, the first thing he's going to have to do is earn my respect back. And that's even if I want to speak to him at all."
"Winn, come on. You're best friends--"
"Were," she corrected.
"Here." Zac pulled a random receipt out of his pocket and plucked the pen that Winn didn't realize she was holding out of her hand. He scribbled something on it and handed them both back to her. "That's his address. He seems to be holing himself up at home, I don't know how long it'll last. Anyway, do with that what you want to. Uh, thanks for taking a moment to talk with me. Have, a, uh, have a good rest of the day."
And with that, Zac bounded back across the street.
In that moment, holding Taylor's address in her hand, it dawned on her that she had never even been to Taylor's house. But why should she make the first move? She hadn't been wrong. This wasn't her responsibility to fix. It had been two days and Taylor hadn't--well, that was wrong. He had called. And he'd texted. And Winn hadn't responded. Hell, maybe at this point, the ball WAS in her court. But still. It was just too soon.
*****************
By Wednesday night, Winn made a decision. She had spent Monday and Tuesday evenings with Isaac, having dinner and watching movies, but it wasn't the same. Isaac was her friend, but their friendship didn't hold a candle to the way she felt when she was with Taylor. Taylor had been her best friend. Isaac was her friend, just--the bond just wasn't the same. The truth was, she missed Taylor so much it hurt sometimes. She had to admit, she had no idea what the source of Taylor's anger had been Saturday night. Maybe she'd been right when she said that he saw Isaac differently than she did. She didn't know. But what she did know was that she wanted her best friend back. And if the ball was in her court, then she guessed she eventually had to play it.
Before work that day, she had prepared a chili to slow cook in the crock pot while she was at work, going home during lunch to check on it and make the necessary adjustments. Now, she pulled up in Taylor's driveway as it sat in the floorboard next to her in an insulated travel bag, along with a grocery bag containing beer, tortilla chips, and a brownie mix. It was dark outside, but she could still see the size of the house. She had to admit, she was surprised to see such an impressive residence. She wasn't sure what she expected. Something much smaller, she knew. Maybe not as small as hers but, hell, even Isaac lived in a modest condo. It seemed odd, Taylor in his huge house and Isaac in the condo. Based on their personalities, it should have easily been the other way around. Was this just one more side of him she didn't know? Was this going to be another surprise? She could have fit at least two of her small, humble lakehouses into Taylor's one huge two-story.
Standing at his door, between her own handbag, the heavy crock pot bag, and the grocery bag, she wasn't sure how she was going to manage to ring the bell. Finally having to lean into it and press it with one of her free knuckles, she accomplished her mission and then she waited, her heart pounding and her nerves soaring.
She nearly leaned into it to ring it again when she heard the locks disengage and Taylor opened the door a crack and peeked around the corner. Her breath took for a second as his eyes widened and he opened the door wider. His appearance caught her off guard. Zac hadn't been kidding. Apparently being a hermit caused Taylor to just abandon all methods of grooming. The scruff on his face could have been cute had it not been so unruly and she didn't even want to mention his hair. His eyes were tired and he looked just generally exhausted. None of it, however, made his blue eyes any less beautiful.
But remembering Saturday's argument still caused her to be a little cool toward him. After all, she wasn't there to apologize to him. She was there to give him the opportunity. If anything, she was doing this for Zac--whether she missed Taylor or not.
"Winn," Taylor said, breathless.
Winn took a deep breath. "So I spoke to Zac on Monday. He seems to think you're barely taking care of yourself and he's concerned. So I brought you a chili recipe that my mom taught me. Where's your kitchen?"
He blinked at her for a moment before he stepped out of the way of the door. "Uh, just straight through here. You, uh, you need me to help--?"
"No," she said curtly as brushed past him, stepping off the foyer and heading straight for the kitchen.
She tried not to notice the size of his kitchen. The cabinets that seemed to reach all the way up to the tall ceiling, the black, marble top island with the bar stools, the state-of-the-art appliances. She sat the stuff down on the marble top and unzipped the crock pot bag as she searched for a plug-in below the marble, finding success on the other end of it. As she slid the bag over, she tried to ignore Taylor's eyes on her.
"So, uh, if you don't mind, I'm just gonna hop in the shower real quick," he said nervously. "I, uh, wasn't expecting company."
Winn nodded. "Sure, do whatever you have to do."
As he walked away, she searched his kitchen for the things she needed. She found a spoon to stir the chili and decided it needed a few minutes to sit before it was ready to be served. She put the beer in the refrigerator and then she leaned against the island and stood there, looking around. This house wasn't her style but she felt comfortable there. Was it because it was Taylor's house? Was it because, despite whatever argument they'd had, they still had that unmistakable bond that came so far and few between? Winn didn't know. But she looked around in disbelief, wondering why he had chosen to spend so much time in her tiny, second-hand, ill-repaired house when he had all of this to come home to.
As she gazed out of the wide kitchen doorway and into the living room, she became enamored with a window that lie beyond the couches in the living room. It was a tall bay window that matched another bay window that partnered it on the other side of a rounded stone fireplace. The windows themselves sat sunk behind a wall on the other side of the foyer and the particular window she found herself enamored with was tucked in a corner of the room, not too far away from the obscenely large TV that hung on the perpendicular wall.
Before she realized it, she was walking through the living room and standing in front of the window with the seat in the bottom of it, and she was gazing up at how high the ceiling went until it turned into the indoor balcony, when she heard Taylor's voice from behind her. "The windows down here and upstairs let in an abundance of natural light. It's one of my favorite features of the house."
She turned around and he stood on the other side of the room, clean-shaven and in fresh clothes. He looked like him again. "I can't believe you never put a Christmas tree up," she said quietly. "Do you have any idea what kind of tree you could put in this room? In front of this window by the fireplace is the perfect place for one."
In a blur, Taylor crossed the room and wrapped his arms tightly around her, hugging her close to him. "Winn," he whispered into her hair. "I am so sorry. Please, you have to believe me."
Suddenly, Winn burst into a gut-wrenching fit of sobs that she supposed she'd been holding in for the past couple of days. She hung onto him for dear life and she could feel her own tears soaking through the material on his shoulder. "I missed you," she sobbed.
She heard him sniff as he cleared his throat. "I missed you, too," his voice cracked. "Please forgive me."
Then she got her bearings. She sniffed and wiped her nose and deliberately pushed him away from her. "How could you say such awful things to me? I could understand if--if maybe I had been a bitch to you or something, but you just--you laid into me out of nowhere, it was like I didn't even know you."
Taylor ran a hand through his hair and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I don't know, I just--maybe I misunderstood what you said about Ike, I don't know, but the way I heard it, he pulled one of his usual stunts and you were just gonna go right back to it and--and I got angry because you just--you don't deserve that, you know?"
"But you didn't listen. Because if you had, then you'd have known that I was in the wrong there, not him. I jumped to conclusions, I was the one who didn't listen--"
"But, Winn, he still lied--"
"Sure, the action wasn't exactly admirable, but then he told the truth and the truth was, he was trying to do something nice for me. His lie wasn't malicious. And I'm okay with it. Why can't you be?"
"Because I don't want to see you get hurt."
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "But--but he didn't hurt me. YOU did."
And then they came full circle. He was hugging her again and she was crying again. "You're my best friend," she sobbed. "You're not supposed to hurt me. You're supposed to support me and--and be my friend!"
"I know," he said, pulling away and taking her face in his hands. He wiped her tears with his thumbs. "I know. I swear to you I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean anything that I said. I promise you, I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you if I have to. I just want you to be happy. That's all."
"But I AM happy, Tay," she barely creaked out. "I am happy. I like Ike. And he likes me. And he really is a good person and--and you're just wrong about him. I just--I don't understand why you can't be happy for me."
Taylor searched her eyes and bit his lip. He shifted his weight and he took in a breath. "Because, Winn, I lo--" He closed his mouth and he looked at her harder, more calculating. "I--I am happy for you, Winn. I am."
"Are you sure?" Her voice creaked out.
"Yeah," he nodded. "Yeah, of course I am. You're my best friend."
"I just want us to be normal again," she sniffed.
"Me, too."
"I brought you dinner," she said, attempting a smile.
Taylor smiled back, his blue eyes sparkling. "It smells amazing."
"It's my mom's family recipe, I haven't made it since I moved. Are you hungry?"
"Starving."
That night, Winn felt so much better as she laughed and talked with Taylor over her mother's chili. She impressed him with her newfound beer expertise and he took her on the grand tour of the house. Upon asking him why he always came to her house as opposed to her coming to his, his response was simply, "Because I like how cozy yours is." She had smiled and accepted the answer.
*****************
When Winn got in her car and buckled her seatbelt, she got out her phone and she texted Zac, "Thank you for giving me that little extra shove the other day." And then she dropped her phone in her lap and she headed home.
When her phone rang, she smiled, expecting to tell Zac that she and Taylor had made up. Instead, it was Isaac. Cheerfully, her mood much brighter than it had been earlier that week, she answered, "Hey! What's up?"
"What are you doing?"
"Driving home."
"From where?"
And then, suddenly, and she didn't know why, she hesitated on telling him that she'd been at Taylor's house. So she simply replied, "Dinner."
There was a pause for a moment and then he replied. "Okay. So, uh, listen, you remember Kelsey, right? From Sunday?"
"Yeah, sure, of course I do."
"Well, she ended up with a couple of tickets to the Thunder game Friday night and, uh, she asked me if I wanted to go."
Winn blinked at her windshield, only now noticing that it was starting to sprinkle outside. "She--she asked you? If you wanted to go?"
"Yeah."
She wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. She had only met Kelsey Sunday night--while she was out with Isaac. And by out, she meant OUT. You couldn't mistake that Winn and Isaac were OUT. TOGETHER. And now she's asking him to go to a basketball game? Knowing...?
"Winn, she's only my friend," Isaac's voice interrupted her thoughts. "We haven't seen each other in ages."
"No, yeah," Winn said. "Yeah, it's--it's fine, it's--yeah..."
"I just wanted to make sure it was okay with you. It's just--it's supposed to be a really good game. And she offered them to me to take you but I just assumed you weren't into basketball, so..."
"You never asked me if I liked basketball," she said quietly.
"Oh. Well...do you?"
"No."
"Then I was right. See, I already know you so well."
She could hear the smile in his voice but she wasn't feeling it on her end. "So...she didn't ask you, you asked her...?"
"Well...I mean, I guess, essentially, yeah. I mean, it's just a ballgame, I don't HAVE to go..."
"No, it's--it's fine, it's--you don't even have to ask me, I mean, she's your friend and that's your team and stuff and--and you should go. I want you to go. And have fun."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure. If--if it's some big important game or something like you said it is and you have the means to go, then go. Don't miss out on the opportunity."
"Uh, uh, okay. Good, I just--I felt like I should run it by you--"
"No, you don't have to run things by me it's not--we're not--we're not like that, you know?"
"Yeah..."
"So, uh, look, I'm almost home and I have a few things I need to haul inside, so. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay? Sweet dreams tonight."
She hung up the phone and then she drove. She was only about halfway home, but Isaac didn't know that. As the rain fell harder against her windshield, she wasn't sure what to think. So he was going out Friday night. He was going to participate in an activity that he enjoyed with an old friend. An old, pretty, female friend. And he had agreed to go with her before he'd even brought it up to Winn. Which, in essence, was perfectly fine since he and Winn weren't in a committed relationship.
But still...how did she feel about this?