was a purple pig. He lived in a massive house that reached all the way to the
sky…”
Christina wrapped her sodden arm around Chloe’s wet shoulders.
Chloe’s story promised to be fun, inventive, and exciting. Not only was
Christina excited to listen, but she was also excited to add on. Her arm
tightened just a little. Chloe smiled up at her. A glob of mud still clung to
her hair. Her freckles stood out in bold contrast to her pale skin. Her eyes
were absolutely huge. The adrenaline hadn’t worn off for either of them yet.
Christina brushed a wet strand of hair off Chloe’s forehead, tucking it
behind her ear, mud and all.
Chapter 20
Taylor
Taylor had grown up in the old farmhouse and she knew exactly which
floorboards squeaked and which ones would remain silent as a secret. She
tiptoed down the hall to Christina’s room. It was late, but she just couldn’t
force herself to stay away, even after the stern talks she’d given herself
while lying in bed. It turned out the hours spent staring up at the ceiling
only made her desire burn harder. She couldn’t exactly talk herself out of
that. If she could have, she never would have stayed at Christina’s house
that night, and that truly would have been a tragedy. Taylor knew that she
would have missed out on so much if she hadn’t given Christina a chance.
If she hadn’t bothered to look below that somewhat hard, icy surface and
see the warm, vibrant person beneath.
Taylor stopped in front of the guest bedroom where Christina was
sleeping. She didn’t knock on the door since her parents probably would
have heard that. Instead, she pushed it open inch by inch, giving the hinges
time to adjust so they wouldn’t make a noise.
Christina’s shadowy form sat upright in the bed. She tensed for a
minute, but then when she realized it was just Taylor, she slumped down
with relief.