“How’s Taylor?” Brooklynn asked Hayden cautiously. The two were at the mall, just wasting time.
"Confused but good. She called me this morning and told me she and her dad have reconciled,” Hayden answered, veering into Abercrombie.
“I want to talk to her,” Brook sighed, leafing through the clothes racks.
“So talk to her.”
“I can’t just call her up like I use to and you know that.”
“So, let’s go over and see her,” he smiled.
“Just show up?”
“Sure, why not? I’ll go too, and we’ll all sit down and talk. I’ll mediate, and we’ll resolve everything.”
“When?” Brook shifted uncomfortably.
“Right now,” Hayden grabbed her hand and led her out of the store.
“Taylor? You home?” Hayden called, walking into his best friend’s bedroom. Brooklynn followed nervously, but hung back in the doorway.
“Hey sweetie,” Taylor smiled when she saw Hayden. The smile faded when she saw who was with him.
“You guys need to talk…that’s why I brought her here,” Hayden explained, reading the blonde’s cool expression.
“What’s to talk bout?” Taylor let out a dry laugh. “She slept with the father of my child, ultimately leading to her separation. She’s what one might refer to as a ‘home wrecker’.”
“Taylor, that’s not fair…you were all but broken up because of his reaction to your being pregnant,” Brooklynn stepped into the room.
“Oh, so that makes it okay? ‘He’s pissed off because she’s knocked up, so I’ll cheer him up in my own special way’…do you honestly think he and I wouldn’t have worked things out? Of course he was angry and scared. I was angry and scared…”
“You act like this is all my fault!”
“He was drunk! I know he was drunk because he was still inebriated when I told him the news!” Taylor shouted angrily.
“He kissed me first—I told him that what we were doing was wrong, but he just kept on pushing…I gave in, but I feel like garbage for doing it!” Brooklynn shouted back. “He didn’t care…I woke up the next morning absolutely hysterical…and he acted like it was no big thing. Like he woke up next to another woman all the time.”
“You’re lying,” Taylor’s voice dropped to a low and dangerous tone. “He called and told me…he was very upset and guilty…he loves me…”
“You’re impossible…I give up. If you’d rather believe that lying son of a bitch than your best friend, then get ready for a long life of heartache,” Brooklynn spat angrily, then turned and left.
“You really believe she’s to blame?” Hayden asked in disbelief.
“Yes! She…she seduced him…she knew he was drunk and upset…”
“How many girls has he cheated on you with?” Hayden interrupted. “Didn’t you tell me five? Five others?”
“Yes, but…”
“And lemme guess…they seduced him, too, right?”
“Shut up, Hayden,” she turned away from him.
“No, you shut up!” he snapped, grabbing her arm and spinning her around to face him.
Taylor just looked up at him in shock. He had never lost his temper with her before.
“Listen to me,” he continued, lowering his voice and loosening his grip on her arm. “Don’t push her away and blame her for something Sam did. I know she’s not entirely the innocent victim, but she cares about you. She loves you like you were her own sister, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to make this up to you.”
“Sam tried, too, ya know…and I haven’t forgiven him…”
“Yes you have…you want him to come back…and he will. He won’t stop until he gets what he wants. And you’ll take him back. ‘For the baby’ is how you’ll justify it to all of us, but deep down we’ll all know the truth. It’s because you’re just too stupid to see him for who he really is.”
“Don’t you ever call me stupid again, Hayden Callahan,” she jerked out of his grip.
“Don’t you understand that you deserve better? That your baby deserves better?!”
“And what’s better, Hayden? Please, enlighten me,” she glared up at him.
Hayden let out a soft sigh, and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, his fingertips lightly brushing her cheek. She softened her gaze at his touch, the angry one replaced by one of desperation and hurt.
“Me,” he whispered gently before kissing her.
After a moment of surprise, she responded, kissing him back.
Hayden went to wrap his arm around her waist, to pull her closer, when she pulled away from his lips and turned her back to him.
“I think you better go…” she told him quietly.
“Taylor, I’m in love with you,” he replied desperately, the words tumbling from his mouth before he could stop them. His heart was pounding and all he wanted to do was kiss her again and make her happy for the rest of her life.
“Go home, Hayden, before you say or do something else we’ll both regret…”
“No, please…will you look at me? Let’s talk about this,”
“Hayden, GO HOME!”
He felt as if his heart had shattered into a million pieces.
“Fine…call me later…or I’ll call you…” he choked out then left.
When Hayden walked into his room, he found Brooklynn sitting on his bed. From the look on her face it was obvious that she was still fuming from her confrontation with Taylor. However, at that moment, he wasn’t concerned with anyone else’s feelings but his own.
He had confessed his feelings to her. After four years, he had finally told Taylor Kelso that he loved her. And she had thrown him out of her house after a moment of pure bliss.
“What’s wrong?” Brooklynn asked, noticing his distant gaze.
“I…I kissed her,” he could still feel her lips on his. He sat next to his friend.
“You what? Ohmygod…I’m assuming things didn’t turn out well…”
“At first…at first she kissed me back, and it was, amazing. I felt like we were in our own universe and nobody and nothing could touch us,” he explained. “But then she pushed me away and told me to leave. So, I did the only thing I could think of—I told her I loved her…I didn’t even mean to, I don’t think it was a conscious decision…it just, came out, it felt right…and then, without even looking at me she tells me I ought to leave before something else we’ll both regret happens…”
“God, she is such a bitch…” Brooklynn shook her head in disbelief.
“She’s not a bitch…don’t call her a bitch…”
“Yes she is. You pour your heart out and she tells you to go home. What the hell is her problem?”
“I think I caught her off guard…it wasn’t the right time…she was upset…”
“When isn’t she upset about something?” Brooklynn asked sarcastically.
“Don’t…okay,”
“You’re just as dense as she is! She treats Sam like he’s this saintly God and you treat her like a perfect Goddess...you’re a match made in heaven,” she rolled her eyes.
“She’ll come around. She has to,” Hayden ignored Brooklynn’s cynical remarks.
“And how do you figure that?”
“She kissed me back…that has to mean something.”
“I really wish you’d let me meet your friends,” Jenna told Scott with a smile that evening.
The two were at the pool hall, playing a few games just to waste some time.
“What are you talking about? You hate my friends,” Scott bent over the table and took his shot.
“No…my friends hate your friends…but I want to meet them. I mean, you always talk about Sam,”
“You can’t meet Sam,” he cut her off quickly.
“Okay…then Taylor…I already know Hayden through Natalie…”she tried to persuade him.
“Why?”
“They’re important to you, and if I’m going to be a part of your life, I’d like to meet the other people that are a part of it, too. Unless, you know…you’re ashamed of me…”
“Don’t be ridiculous…why would I be ashamed of you…you’re beautiful,” he smiled up at her.
She just smiled back at him, then turned it into a teasing pout.
“Come on…I’ll take you to meet Taylor,” he caved.
Hayden sat on the front porch, smoking a cigarette and thinking about what had happened between himself and his best friend.
He couldn’t decide if he should try and talk to her, or wait for her to come to him. Things would be complicated for awhile, he knew that. And every time he’d be near her, he’d want to kiss her all over again.
His train of thought was broken by a car pulling into the driveway.
“What’s up, buddy,” Scott waved as he got out of the car and walked up to Hayden. Jenna followed close behind.
“How you been, man?” Hayden replied.
“I’m great…listen, I uh, I’m sorry about that night at the lounge. It wasn’t anything against you…you just happened to be there,” Scott explained seriously.
“It’s cool,” Hayden waved it off, then turned his attentions to Jenna. “How you been, J.B.?”
“Pretty good…how about you?” she smiled in return.
“Eh,” he shrugged.
“Is Taylor home?” Scott asked, suddenly remembering the reason he and Jenna were there.
“Yeah, but uh…I don’t know if she’s feeling social right now,” Hayden warned.
“Why not? She okay? Did something happen to the baby?” Scott questioned in concern.
“No…she’s just had a long day, that’s all.”
“You okay? You look a bit miserable,” Scott lowered his voice so that Jenna couldn’t hear.
“I, too, have had a long day,” Hayden replied tossing his cigarette butt.
“Well listen, if Taylor’s in one of her moods, I’m just gonna take Jenna home. I’ll call you later, alright?” Scott suggested.
Hayden nodded. “Talk to you later, Jenna.”
“Bye,” she waved with a smile, then the couple got into Scott’s car and drove off.
“Come in…just for a little bit,” Jenna pleaded.
Scott, always the gentleman, had walked her to her door when he brought her home. He had wanted to get back to Hayden, but Jenna clearly had other plans for him.
“I can’t…I have a feeling that Hayden needs me…I gotta get goin’…something just isn’t right…I know it.”
“Just for a minute,” she whispered sweetly, hooking her fingers through his front belt loops and pulling him closer.
“Alright…just a minute,” he nodded, then allowed her to pull him inside.
Once the front door was closed, Jenna began to kiss him heatedly. Scott returned the kisses, his hands resting on her hips.
“You…are so…amazing,” Jenna giggled as her kissed traveled to his neck.
“So are you,” Scott smiled.
Her lips traveled up to his again as she backed him into a wall. Her fingers fumbled with the buttons on his shirt.
“I want you,” she let out a breathy plea. Her eyes were clouded with lust.
“Jen, maybe I should go,” Scott reasoned, trying to gently push her off of his body. “It’s late, and I have a bowling tournament tomorrow at eight a.m.”
“No, stay…and I promise we’ll have night you’ll never forget,”
“You know I can’t sleep with you.”
“Why not,” she pressed even closer to him, a seductive smile playing on her lips. “Don’t you want me?”
“Jenna, it’s not that…I just can’t…we’ve only been together for barely a month. Now, please, just, let me go,” he managed to move away from her.
Jenna clearly angry at his rejection, glared at him as he re-buttoned his shirt.
Noticing her glare, he let out a sigh. “Please don’t look at me like that. You know as well as I do—“
“Are you gay?” she cut off his sentence.
“Excuse me?”
“Gay. Homosexual. Do you like boys, Scott?” she asked maliciously, her hands on her hips.
“What? NO! What the hell’s the matter with you?”
“Well, gee…you ‘can’t’ sleep with me. You want to wait until you’re ‘in love’…sounds to me like you just can’t get it started with a girl, but you’re afraid to come out, so you figure that you’ll play the abstinence card.”
“Whatever Jenna.”
And with that, he left her house.