Holding Hands (Jardougall)

The Present Time

Present Time 2014

Tay's P.O.V.

"Good morning," Sam said, drawing out the first word.

I groaned and rubbed my head. "You're still here?" I asked, sitting down at the counter and yawning.

"Yep!" she chirped. "Breakfast, little sis?"

"Coffee," I whined.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Great hangover, by the way." Sam walked over to the coffee maker and it began to brew. Goddammit that sound was annoying. I groaned out loud and laid my head down on the counter.

"Thanks, I do try," I said and I'm sure Sam just rolled her eyes again. When I picked my head back up after a few minutes, there was a cup of coffee in front of me and I took a sip. As I drank it, my sister tilted her head and stared at my chest. "Whoa, my eyes are up here. Incest isn't legal in New York."

"Don't flatter yourself. Just...you aren't wearing your necklace. You know, the one Jenna gave you."

I rolled my eyes. "I thought you meant the other necklace I wear twenty-four seven," I said sarcastically. "I just took it off last night. Actually, I took everything off."

"You took about half of it off before you and Alex even made it to the bedroom."

I groaned. "Hangover..."

"Sex... Was he good?"

"Fuck if I know. Penis is bad."

Sam shrugged and sat down beside me. We spent another half hour just talking before she said her goodbye and left. When I walked back into my bedroom, I saw my biggest regret of the night: Alex Gaskarth. I groaned when I processed that the only thing covering him were my sheets, and I cursed the fact that I was a horny drunk. He didn't even move; just laid there, sound asleep as I glared at him from the doorway, sipping what remained of my coffee. Laying on the bedside table was the familiar necklace that I always wore. The memory of Jenna putting that necklace on me made my heart ache, especially when I remembered that she told me she wouldn't forget me. She said she wouldn't, and she did. We video chatted every day for a year after she left, and texted every day for two years after she left. Then, one day, she stopped contacting me. I tried, but I eventually took the hint that she didn't need me anymore. I scowled at the memories. Eight years without contact from her, yet my feelings for her have deepened since then. I was an idiot for thinking that things would be normal between us after she left.

"What are you looking at?" a voice grumbled. I snapped out of my thoughts and looked to see that Alex was awake.

"Nothing," I lied. "Why haven't you left yet?"

"Damn, I can take a hint, Taylor." Alex stood up from my bed and grabbed his clothes, sliding them on before walking past me. Then he stopped, grabbed my coffee mug, and downed the rest of it. "Your sister sure makes some damn good coffee."

I narrowed my eyes at him as he handed me the mug back. "Just get out," I grumbled and Alex smirked.

"I got it, beautiful. Great sex last night, by the way. You're definitely the hotter sister." Alex kissed my cheek and I pulled away with a disgusted look on my face. He chuckled and walked away, so I bit my lip and groaned, walking over to my bed. I sat down and set the mug on the bedside table, the necklace taking its place in my hand. I ran my thumb over the aquamarine stone and felt my heart shatter into tinier pieces.

After replacing the necklace on the table, I grabbed some clean clothes out of my dresser and walked into the bathroom. I closed the door and set my clothes on the sink before looking myself over in the mirror.