Chapter two hundred and seventy seven:

Taylor climbed the stairs slowly. He found his way down the hall and knocked softly on Jen’s bedroom door.

Knowing Jen was inside, but not hearing her moving, he let himself into the room.

The bathroom door was closed. Not seeing Jen anywhere else in the room, he assumed she was in the bathroom.

He stood at the door for a moment, before knocking gently.

“Go away!” She responded immediately.

“Jen, it’s me.” Taylor said evenly. He tested the knob, and it turned easily. “The door’s unlocked, I’m coming in.” He pushed open the door and found Jenna laying in the bath tub.

She was fully clothed, but just sitting reclined in the tub.

Taylor closed the door behind him and dropped to the floor next to the bath tub.
”Luke left.” He said simply.

“I know.” She avoided his gaze.

“Things are over between you?”

“Yeah,” She replied.

“Jen, he loves you. He is absolutely crazy about you.”

She was silent.

“I know you love him too… What could you possibly be fighting over that would make him go back to Oklahoma?”

Jenna sighed. “Sex.” She admitted.

“Sex?” He asked in disbelief.

“I want it, and he doesn’t. There’s nothing left to work through.”

“Jen…” Taylor paused, unsure of what to say next. “I’m sure you can work it out.”

“There’s nothing to work out.”

“But sex is… I mean, things change. He may not want it now, but he might…” Taylor stumbled over his words uncomfortably. Personally he couldn’t imagine anyone not wanting sex, but sex with someone he had a crush on for so long…

“I know that.” She hugged her knees tightly to her chest. “But it just means that we’re in completely different places in the same relationship. I want to move forward and he wants to stand still. I don’t see what the big deal is I mean, it’s just sex. And what if he’s one of those ‘wait until marriage’ guys? I just… I can’t see this going anywhere.”

“I doubt Luke is that kind of guy.”
”I just… I can’t keep having this argument with him.”

“He’s probably just nervous. I mean, if I was sleeping with someone I cared about as much as Luke cares about you, I think I’d be a nervous wreck.”

Taylor felt himself blush when her green eyes studied him in disbelief.

“Luke is crazy about you,” Taylor said, “You know that. Everybody knows that. You can’t tell me that you aren’t crazy about him.”

She shook her head. “Even so, it doesn’t matter. Like I said before, we’re in two different places.”

“Alright, let me ask you one question.” He bargained. “Can you see yourself without him?”

“It’s… it’s too late.” She shook her head. “He’s already at the airport.”

Taylor reached into his pocket and withdrew the keys to his rental car.

Jen stood and hugged him tightly before running from the room.

Taylor sighed and dropped his head into his hands. He knew he had done the right thing, but it still felt wrong to him.

 

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