Paige wanted to scream from the other side of the bookshelf, but knew that she had to keep her cool if she didn't want to get caught. She knew what she's probably recording right now could be the next big news at school, and would be a good revenge that she could set for Taylor for getting close with Tim without her concern. At least, that's what she thought.
Damn, this is huge. Paige thought.
Meanwhile....
After the kiss, Taylor slowly pulls away from Joey as the two are still staring at each other's eyes. Joey tries to catch his breath, while Taylor just stood in silence, looking surprised at him, but more surprised of what she just heard from him. She thought she misheard what he said just now, and wanted to believe that she's daydreaming.
Taylor's POV...
I stare into Joey's blue eyes, my lips sealed without a word. I became speechless upon hearing those three words and eight letters before my name. In shock, suddenly my feeling became all mixed up, with my heart beating faster than before. From the gaze in his eyes, he looked like he had a thousand words in his eyes, but decided to only let three words before my name slipped out from his lips. Still surprised with all of this, I only remain silent while staring at him.
"Taylor, I-"
"Joey, I don't understand," I say, still surprised with what just happened, but I figure I couldn't stay silent forever.
"Wasn't it more than just an answer with words?" Joey asks me, again sealing my lips with silence. He does have a point.
I sigh. Right now, I'm literally the one out of words. Surprised and confused, how am I suppose to react all calm and normal in this situation? It's all so complicated right now.
"Joey, I'm really surprised," I say. "What just happened, what did it meant?"
Joey sighs. "You heard it, Tay. I love you."
"I'm your best friend, Joey. How is that possible?" I ask him in a rather dramatic tone, though I tried my best not let my voice get louder, remembering that we're in the library.
"I guess...I didn't realize it until now," Joey says. "You had always been there for me since we were little. Come to think of it, I could say it's impossible if I never had feelings for you."
"Joe, Eleanor had also been there for you since we were kids," I say. "She could have had feelings for you before me. But, why me?"
"Can love even be explained? And can we even choose with who we fell in love with? It just happened and I don't even know how to react to it," Joey says.
"Joey, she's my sister," I say. "As much as I love you, I don't want to hurt my own sister."
"Taylor, we had an agreement that we both messed up," Joey says. "Can we just start over and forget about all of this?"
"Joe, we can't just forget Eleanor like that," I say. "She also had feelings for you, Joey."
"Eleanor is with Fred now," Joey says. "She moved on, Tay."
"If she moved on, why did she asked you to be her boyfriend even after she met Fred?" I ask him. I found it to be more difficult to lower my tone as my emotions starts getting the best of me. Looking at my sister everyday, I knew well that deep down she still has feelings for Joey. And even though it made me feel uncomfortable knowing that my sister likes the same guy as me, I didn't really feel too good if I found myself dating him behind my sister's back, though I won't deny that I a part of me really wish to be with him.
Joey sighs. He looked pretty much like he's out of word. A look of guilt can be seen in his eyes, when I mention about my sister.
"I just didn't want to break the agreement we had, knowing that I already messed up by kissing her," Joey says. "But after all, I only found myself making more messes eventually."
I stood in silence. I became speechless in this moment, not really knowing what is best to say. I honestly never imagine myself to be in this position. To hear my best friend finally confessing that he feels the same way towards me, while knowing that my sister also has feelings for him and knowing that he had turned her down because he didn't want to spoil the friendship between the three of us were too surprising to handle all in once. I won't lie to myself, that hearing his confession sparks joy in my deepest heart, though somehow it also brings a dilemma. How can I accept the love from a guy who my sister also loves? Taylor, do you even dare to date a guy you know your sister also loves, knowing that it will probably break her heart if she finds out? But again, what about my genuine feelings for him? One thing I am sure, is that my feelings towards him are true, and that it's way more than a high school crush. I could have the confidence to say, that I had really fallen in love with him.
"Joey, I love you too," I say, my vision slowly gaze down at the ground as the tension between us gets awkward.
I sigh. "You know that, right?"
"Of course I know, Tay," Joey says in a low tone.
"I used to wish that we could be more than this, but everytime I remember about my sister, I just feel selfish," I say. "But I don't want us to stay like this either, Joe. I always wanted more."
"Taylor, what do you want in the future? Regarding Eli, I'm sure she'll eventually understand if she finds out," Joey says.
I sigh. "I don't want her to find out, Joe. At least, not now."
"I understand," Joey says, before he takes a deep breath.
"As for us, I've always wanted us to be together," I say, as I slowly let out my hand to touch Joey's hand.
"I want us to be together, Joe. But without my sister knowing," I say.
To be continue...