Chase

Why do I keep making things awkward?!

I've been slowly trying to finish my discussion with Taylor about figuring things out with Lindsey, but every time I start laying out the details, Liam or Lindsey walk in. Which then leads to Taylor and I quickly dropping our hushed conversation and trying to act like nothing was happening. This is now the third time that's happened since yesterday.

It probably didn't look good. Lindsey walked into the kitchen and caught Taylor and me in a discussion about her. We were trying to be quiet so she and Liam wouldn't hear, so we were only talking in whispers. Hopefully, she didn't hear what was being said, but the look on her face tells me she knows or at least suspects that she was the topic of discussion.

Shit!

I look like a deer in headlights right now. Luckily Taylor is more composed. She skillfully engages Lindsey in a conversation of their own after shooting me a look that says, "we'll finish this conversation later." She says something to Lindsey about going shopping later while Liam and I are at practice. Lindsey nods and agrees to go with a soft smile. I don't miss the flash of hurt in her eyes when she glances at me, though.

Wait, does she think something is going on with Taylor and me? Fuck!

How could I let things get so messed up? Lindsey is still avoiding me as much as possible, and when she looks at me, she just seems hurt. I need to finish my chat with Taylor. She'll know how to help. It's been a long time since I've even considered starting a relationship with someone; I'm out of my depth here. Lucky for me, Taylor is great at problem-solving.

......

Monday after practice, I finally caught Taylor alone. Liam went with some of the team to grab a late lunch. I stayed back and told them I needed to go over a few details of my next photoshoot with Taylor's company, AthletaWear. They sponsor several guys on the team, myself included. She's an account rep for them and handles all things AthletaWear related, including hashing out details of shoots and negotiating contracts.

The guys' bought my excuse and headed out, leaving Taylor and me free to discuss my current dilemma. "I don't know what to do, Tay. Things got so screwed up somehow. I don't know how to fix this."

She nods sympathetically. "Walk me through it again. Tell me everything that happened."

I take a deep breath and tell her everything that has happened since Lindsey moved in. I tell her how I felt when I first saw Lindsey, how sweet she is, how I can't stop thinking about her and have a strong pull to be near her as much as possible. I tell her how Val and Jenna treated Lindsey, how angry that made me, how I told Val off.

Then I tell her what happened before last call that night in the bar. How I touched Lindsey's hand and started leaning in; how she started saying something and never finished. I explained how she's been avoiding me ever since and giving me sad looks all the time.

Taylor takes everything in for a minute. "So, you're really into her, huh?"

My face falls into my hands, "I am. I can't explain it. There's just something about her. I can't stay away and I can't stop thinking about her."

She smiles and shoves my shoulder. "You've got it bad!"

I peel my face out of my hands. "What do I do? How can I fix this?"

"I think part of your problem is miscommunication. The two of you need to talk. Air out all of your feelings honestly and see where the two of you want to go." She sends me a serious look. "And if she decides she's not ready for a relationship, you need to respect that. She probably has a lot on her mind right now. She just started a new job and moved her whole life to a new city. She may be feeling overwhelmed. Add to that she's got you sending her googly eyes and trying to hold her hand after years of you being called a serious womanizer in the press."

I grimace, but I know she's right. "How do I get her to talk to me? She keeps avoiding me. I'd text her, but Liam never gave me her number, and I'd rather talk to her in person about this."

A smile tugs on the corner of Taylor's mouth. "Leave that to me. You and Liam will be gone for a couple days for your next game. That will give me time to talk to Lindsey. I'll let her know how great you are and explain how different you are from the media stories. If it all works out, by the time you get back, Lindsey will be team Chase all the way!"

I pull her into a big hug. "Thank you, Tay! You're the best!"

She laughs. "Don't you forget it!" She pinches my arm. "But, if you hurt her, I will kick your ass. Or I'll have some of your hot shot teammates do it for me."

I laugh, knowing her threat is real. "I have no intention of hurting her."

She wiggles free from my arms. "You know, if something does happen with the two of you, you're gonna have to tell Liam."

I sigh. "Yeah, I know. I just don't want to tell him until I know if this will go anywhere with her. I mean, she may want nothing to do with me. Maybe I've been reading too much into everything."

"Well, there's only one way to find out." She smiles and gives me a gentle look. "You know, as long as you make her happy, I don't think Liam would be mad. But, I won't tell him if you don't want me to."

"Thanks, Tay. I really appreciate it."

I felt better about everything after talking to Taylor. At least I know she's got my back. There's not much I can do now but sit back and hope she can work her magic on Lindsey.