"I was afraid you'd think I was a lech. Disgusting. Wrong. That you'd hate me," Trevor said, starting off loud, but his voice fading as he lost steam. He couldn't look back at her, staring at the water in front of him instead. Maybe he should just throw himself in and not bother coming back up for air. He wanted to break something. Yell. Cry. He looked down at his hands and put his head in them.
"Hate you..." Taryn trailed off, forcing herself to stop from rushing off to the safety of her own bedroom. She brushed her wet hair out of her eyes and looked at Trevor. As stunned and confused as she might be, it was obvious Trevor was going through something too. Something that probably felt worse than anything she was currently experiencing. Taryn hesitated before walking back around the pool to where he was. "Trevor, I would never hate you, ever." She stood behind him, sounding as pained as she felt and unsure of how to respond. There was still the confusion, disbelief and shock. And... elation. Somewhere deep inside that was clawing its way to the surface. "I don't... how could you love me? How... everything you told me about that mystery woman... that was me?" Taryn was desperately trying to remember every single detail he had ever revealed. Every compliment, every spark of desire she'd seen in his eyes when he spoke about this woman. It was all about Taryn?
"It was all you," he confirmed. His hands ran down his face and he straightened up only slightly, massaging the bridge of his nose with his finger and thumb. For the first time that night he realized his contacts were starting to dry out and feel uncomfortable, but that was probably due to a little pool water getting at them even though he'd been as careful as possible. Just another discomfort added to a mountain of current discomforts. It was all making him feel remarkably sober suddenly, even though he knew he wasn't. "How could I not love you, Taryn? Everything you do amazes me. Even when you're making me ridiculously jealous."
Taryn parted her lips to reply, but nothing out. At least not right away. She was still trying to comprehend what he was telling her. He loved her? Like, loved her, loved her? Not just brotherly love? Finally Taryn closed her eyes and took a breath, knowing that she needed to say something. "I never knew," she said quietly. Her head was spinning and making her stomach slightly ill. Somehow she knew it wasn't just from the wine. "I never thought... you were paying much attention beyond... you know, being my brother." Taryn paused and opened her eyes, staring at him even if he wasn't looking at her. "You really love me?"
"I couldn't do anything else but be your brother. And hope. Hope for the impossible," Trevor said as he finally got up from the pool steps and walked past Taryn, giving her more space than necessary, to grab his towel. He started drying off, his back still to her, afraid of what he'd see in her face and body language. Admonishing himself for being a coward made himself feel worse, especially given rash bravery had got him into this mess in the first place.
"Trevor," she sighed. "Please turn and look at me so we can... talk." To be fair, Taryn was the one who had booked it out of the pool and ran away, but the shock of it all seemed to be dulling a bit and she couldn't keep talking to his back. "I'm... I'm sorry. I just... this isn't anything I ever expected and I don't even know where to begin reacting to it. Can we go... to my room? Or your room?" Really, she just wanted to run away and lock herself somewhere and hide for a couple of days and hope this insanity went away. But at the same time, she couldn't.
"Of course." He turned, reluctantly, and glued his eyes to her face. She looked so confused and he hated that he'd not only made her feel that way, but ruined the whole evening with his own idiocy and, ultimately, selfishness. He wanted to apologize. To explain that he'd only wanted to make her happy, not end up here. But he was now afraid that anything else he said would only make the situation that much worse.