She made a decision to start looking for a place to live that afternoon. Maybe even a three bedroom so that Brooklynn could move in, too.
With a yawn, Taylor pulled her robe on and headed downstairs to kitchen. She fixed herself a cup of coffee and opened the morning paper to look at the real estate section.
“Morning,” Brooklynn yawned as she staggered into the kitchen some twenty minutes later. “Did you sleep well?”
“As well as can be expected…what about you? You seemed really upset when you got back last night,” Taylor looked up at her friend in concern.
“It’s nothing…just kind of had it out with Scott is all. It was bound to happen sooner or later…looking for a place?” Brooklynn read over the other woman’s shoulder and changed the subject.
“Yeah. Actually there’s a little place I found, and it’s really perfect, but it’s a three bedroom and the rent’s a bit high for just me,”
“How much is the rent?”
“Five hundred plus utilities. So figure a fat six for lights and water, then another hundred for cable and phone…I’m gonna call it seven a month,” Taylor sighed.
“I’ll move in with you and we can do it together. I make enough working full time…and you’re just gonna have to suck it up and get a job. Call and make an arrangement for us to see the place,” Brooklynn shrugged.
Come three that afternoon, Taylor, Brooklynn and Draco were at the small house taking a tour.
The bedrooms were of decent size, the kitchen and bathroom were small, but the living room was huge. Brooklynn was sold the moment they stepped into the basement though.
The previous owner had been a photographer that liked to work out of the house. The basement had been renovated and split into two separate rooms. On one side was a studio. He’d even left back drops and a few lights. The other side had additional walls and a revolving door built into it to form a dark room.
“We’ll take it,” Brooklynn told the real estate agent eagerly.
“I agree. It’s perfect for us,” Taylor nodded
Within the week, the deal was sealed on the house and the girls slowly moved in, one room at a time.
The living room was the last to be filled and proved to be the most difficult. The furniture was heavy and hard to put in place.
“You need any help?” a male voice called as the girls struggled to make their huge couch (donated by Mr. Farrell, as had all of the other necessary furniture that they lacked) through the front door.
Both girls craned their necks to see Scott hurrying up the walkway towards them. His presence annoyed Brooklynn (‘after what he’d said, HOW DARE him show up at my house’) and surprised Taylor (‘I don’t know what happened with them but I can’t believe he’s here). Neither had seen him since the night they’d been arrested.
“Where you been?” Brooklynn asked defensively as he helped them tip the couch.
“Around,” he angled it and slid the couch through the door easily. “How about Sam got arrested the other night. Possession of cocaine, heroin and marijuana, not to mention an assortment of prescription drugs that he doesn’t need. He’s in some serious shit…but on a brighter note, he won’t be pressing charges cause he can’t afford it…he’s also bankrupt and jobless because of the ordeal.”
“How do you know?” Taylor asked in concern.
“I was at the station when they brought him in. I forgot to sign some papers or something the night we were all brought in, so they asked me to come down and finish them.”
“What an idiot. I hope he rots in his cell. He’d deserve no less,” Taylor rolled her eyes.
“I agree…so…um…I saw your sister at the gas station before I came here…she didn’t talk to me or anything, and I certainly didn’t talk to her,” he spoke quickly noticing how Taylor was narrowing her eyes at him. “I was just wondering…have you talked to her or seen her or anything?”
“My mother keeps trying to get me to sit down and talk to her…it’s amazing. I clean up my act and do what I have to do to get by and survive, she sleeps with my husband, and I’m still the asshole. ‘She’s your sister Taylor’. ‘Forgive and forget Taylor’. I now understand why I hate my family like I do.”
“I don’t blame you. I can’t believe she’d do that to you…” Brooklynn piped in shaking her head.
Taylor and Scott just looked at her with raised eyebrows and ‘are you kidding me’ looks on their faces.
“I’m gonna run and get lunch…you want?” she smiled uncomfortably.
“No thanks,” Taylor laughed. Scott just shook his head, and with that, she left.
“This place is great!” he called, walking from room to room. “Hey pal,” he smiled walking into Draco’s room to find the little boy playing in his crib.
“Scott!” Draco smiled back.
“Come here buddy,” Scott lifted him up and carried him into the living room where Taylor was drinking a coke and sitting on the couch.
“When did he learn my name?” Scott asked with a smile.
“Not sure…um…can I talk to you?” she replied quickly.
“You know you can talk to me about anything…what’s up?”
“What happened between you and Brook that night…after you dropped me off?”
“We talked about us—about what happened. Why?” he answered casually, now pacing around the room hunched over as Draco held his hands and led him around.
“She’s taking it pretty bad. She goes out every night, comes home drunk off her ass. I’m worried about her.”
“She’ll be fine,” Scott shrugged it off.
“You said something awful to her, didn’t you? Scott, what did you say to her to get her this upset?”
“I told her the truth. I didn’t want to tell her, but she told me she needed to know, needed me to tell her why, so I did.”
“She’s been spending a lot of time with this girl she met at school…Scarlett something or other…and they always at one party or another, and Brook isn’t like that, ya know. Yeah, every once in awhile, but this has been every night for a week straight.”
“Listen, Brooklynn’s a big girl, and you aren’t her mother. Keep an eye on her if you think you need to, make sure she doesn’t get out of control, but I think maybe she just needs to, I dunno…for lack of a better word, rebel. Let her have her fun, and if she gets too wild, then you can try and intervene. Have you met this Scarlett?”
“No. She never comes to the door. She pulls up in her little black Ferrari at like nine or ten at night, honks the horn, and Brooklynn runs out before I can even say anything…it’s like she’s sneaking out. And her mom has no idea. She’s been working nightshift at the hospital…”
“I dunno…try and meet the girl if that’ll put you at ease, but I still feel it’s probably best to just let her get this out of her system without any interference.”
“When did you stop caring about what happens to her? I mean, I understand that you’re over her, out of love with her even, but how can you just stop caring after everything?” Taylor asked sadly.
“It’s not that I don’t care—you know me better than that, Taylor. But I can’t be involved with anything that has to do with her and her life right now. It’s only going to give her a false hope of our reconciling and make the current situation worse by ten-fold when nothing happens. It’s like that old song goes—‘you gotta be cruel to be kind’. Eventually, when she’s okay with our split, I want us to be friends, but until then, I can’t do it. I can’t be around.”
“So you’re walking out on me, too, then.”
“Not at all. I don’t want anything to change with me and you unless it’s for the better. Especially now. I mean, I’m not trying to be Mr. Wonderful or Mr. Save Everyone from Their Terrible Lives, but Draco’s gonna need some male influence so he doesn’t grow up to be some cry-baby mama’s boy. And since I’m the only man that you really have around, I want to be able to do it. Why should the little one suffer because Sam fucked up, ya know,” Scott smiled as Draco let go of him and toddled over to his toys in the corner.
Taylor just laughed. “You think I’d make him a cry baby mama’s boy?”
“I dunno…sometimes I think you’ve got more balls than me…but just to be safe, I’m gonna volunteer myself for quality boy’s time.”
She could just smile. “You know you’re one of the last great guys out there, Scott Lowman?”