Who I Am With You (Imagination #10) - Staci Stallings Page 0,174

trying to justify what you were doing, like that was all okay, and everyone else was the problem.”

“I blamed Paige for getting me into trouble. I remember that.”

“And I remember sitting there thinking, this wasn’t the you I remembered. Back in high school, you were the one who thought drinking was stupid. I couldn’t figure it out at the time because that was so not you. It seemed like you had changed so much, and then you showed up with Chris…”

“And you knew I had.”

“Well, I hoped… I mean, it wasn’t like you didn’t date some questionable guys in high school a few times, but you always seemed to snap out of it before it got too serious.”

Taylor tipped her head. “I think I liked being liked even if it was by the wrong guys.”

Glancing over at her, Greg lifted his eyebrows.

“I know… it was stupid,” she said.

“Not stupid,” he relented. “Just… you don’t have to do that, you know? You really don’t. You are so cool, so… crazy cool amazing. You shouldn’t have to change for someone to like you. They should love you for who you are. I know I do.”

Taylor turned to him and smiled. “You always have.”

He nodded and put his hand over onto hers for one brief second. “And I always will.”

“So,” Taylor said when they were halfway through the meal with her parents a little over an hour later. She felt Greg look over at her and brace himself for the tsunami that was coming. Her parents had been so welcoming when they showed up, giving hugs, and saying how surprised they were by the visit. She hoped that would last, but she had a feeling it wouldn’t.

At the head of the table, her father looked at her and took a drink of his tea. Oh, to be able to bury herself under the table or at least forget this whole insane idea altogether. She was starting to regret bringing Greg. If she hadn’t, she could have talked herself out of this way easier.

“I’ve been doing some thinking.” Every word came out slower as she fought to find them in her mind. It was like they had all scattered like frightened bunnies upon hearing a gunshot.

“Okay,” her mother said with a glance at her father that Taylor both saw and understood. It was the universal family sign for speak carefully, we don’t want to upset your father. Taylor wondered then how many times just seeing that look had shut her up and veered her off the course and onto the one labeled Protect Dad at all costs. Oh, to be able to do that now.

“It’s just that…” She glanced at Greg who nodded though he barely moved. “Well, I know when I went to college, the plan was pre-med and then med school.”

Her father’s face fell into anger as he set his glass down with a soft but noticeable thump, and her courage scattered. Don’t do this, the center of her pleaded. Just don’t. It’s okay. Really. We can make it work. We can. He’s going to be so disappointed if you don’t. Look, you’re upsetting him already…

Taylor gulped in air she could almost taste. She had stopped eating completely though there was more than half of her food left. “I know this seems like it’s out of left field, but… I’ve been thinking about this a lot. A lot, a lot.” She wasn’t sure why the whole world suddenly felt so unsteady and wobbly, like it might flip over at any second and dump her off. “It’s just that… I’m not sure… I’m not sure I even want to be… a… doctor.”

The only way she could describe what came next was it was like the first millisecond after a bomb hits but just before it goes off. That breath of a second when you’re not sure it even will.

Her father had just taken a bite, and his knife clattered to the plate. Chewing slowly, her father said nothing as he reached for his tea again. Taylor waited. She had lit the fuse to detonate the bomb. It was too late to go back now. Not helpfully, her mind played back the memory of her father screaming at her on the front lawn about Chris, and it gripped her heart so hard, her breathing constricted around it as well. Her breath stopped. There was no in or out, only silence.

“I’m…” her mother started, looking back and forth between them, “I don’t… understand.”

The air started