Love Rekindled (Love Surfaced) (32 page)

“Oh, Vivian, things have changed.”

“What do you mean? You were begging me three months ago for this. What could have changed?” She doesn’t sound angry, but she’s not happy either.

“Brad.”

“Brad? Taylor, what have I missed?”

My head falls between my shoulders, abandoning my wrapping for the time being.

“We’re together again.”

“Oh.”

“I mean, thank you so much, Vivian. I appreciate you finding it for me and getting me the interview, but—”

“Can I interrupt you for a second?” When I don’t say anything she continues. “Are you really prepared to give up a fresh start in a new city for someone who changes their mind as fast as the wind? I mean, seriously, Tay, do you really think he’ll stick around?”

Vivian isn’t mean, but she saw me at my worst that night, being stuck as my only confidant. She’s kept my secret from all of the sorority girls she’s still in contact with. So I know when she vocalizes her objection, she does so because she’s a friend.

“Can I have a day to think about it?”

“They’re going to call you to set up the interview. I’m not sure when, so I guess you have until you get that call. But, Tay, this is a great opportunity for you and Em. You need to really think about it.”

“Thanks, Viv, I’ll call you back in a bit.” I hang up the phone, disturbed by her doubts of Brad. At the same time, can I blame her? I’d be the same if her ex came back in the picture with her.

She doesn’t know the Brad now, the evolved one—the father, boyfriend, and worker he is. She’s right when she brings up a new start. I’d love to live in a city so far away from Roosevelt. Maybe Brad would come with me, but then I remember, Creadle’s and his new dream of making it the top Aquatic Center in the nation. He’s kept me up most nights talking about expansion plans and how one day they’ll be training Olympians. His ongoing mind dreams big and fierce.

The key clicks in the lock and I push my thoughts aside and scramble to finish wrapping his gift. I’m putting the last piece of tape on before he’s able to reach me.

“What’s that?” he whispers, already used to Em falling asleep wherever she lands.

“A gift . . . for you.”

He grabs it before I can set it under our tree. Shaking the box, he’ll never figure it out.

“Hmm . . . I have no idea.” He chuckles, placing it where it should be under the tree. “But I have something else I want to open more.”

He slowly lowers me to the ground, pressing my back down to the carpet.

“What would that be?”

He flicks open a button on my sweater, revealing a glimpse of my pink bra. “This hot nurse. Shh . . . don’t tell my girlfriend.” His hand slides under my sweater and he pulls the cup of my bra down.

Noticing something moving behind him, I watch her carefully, allowing Brad a quick feel before our fun time comes to a halt.

“I think she has some sort of radar on when you get home.”

He lifts his head from devouring my neck and peeks behind him.

“Jesus,” he whispers, abandoning my breast and sitting up.

“Dada,” she says sweetly and crawls into his lap. “Miss you.”

His eyes overflow with love. It never gets old looking at the two of them together. “Miss you.”

If Vivian called right now, I’d say no to the offer, but her words won’t stop repeating. Do I want out of Roosevelt? The question needs an answer.

“I showered at the gym, so I could take you guys out to dinner.” He stands up and Em moves back to her toys. He tosses the messy disarray of her toys in a bin and snags the scissors and tape from the floor before Em can get to them.

The small act brings an elation over me about the fact that we’re making a home here. He looks back at me sitting on the floor and tilts his head.

“Am I missing something?”

“Why?”

“Because you look like you’re about to cry. Are you okay?”

He steps over to me, holding out his hand.

“We need to talk,” I say, and his lips turn down.

“I don’t much care for those four words strung together in a row.”

“Sit down.” He moves to the couch, making sure my hand stays in his. Once we’re both situated, I begin. “So, three months ago, I felt like I had to get out of here. I called my friend, Vivian, in Arizona.”

“The quiet one, right?”

“Yeah. Well, she’s a nurse at a big hospital down there, and she got me an interview.” I bite my lip. “It would be four ten hour shifts with three days off with Em.”

“Oh. More time with her. I get it.” His eyes move past my shoulder, and I know I’ve probably lost him.

“She thinks it’s a good opportunity for me.”

“Are you taking it, Taylor?” He cuts to the chase, and I can’t blame him.

“No.”

His eyes shift to mine. “You’re going to stay here for me?” He acts like he’s not worthy of that decision.

“Yes.”

“Is it what you want to do?”

“Yes.”

“You’re sure?”

I giggle. “Yes, but I wanted you to know.”

His hand covers his heart and he falls back in the cushions. “You scared me half to death. I thought for sure I was going to piss my dad off by moving to Arizona and leaving Creadle’s behind.”

“You would have come with me?” I ask him, surprised.

He sits back up. His hand lands on my cheek, and I lean into his hold. “I told you, you’re my family.”

“That we are.”

“We’re in this together, and if you want to move, we will. We make decisions together now.”

When did he become so rational?

“Now, let’s go have dinner and watch the commercial.”

Four hours later, we watched the commercial with Tanner endorsing Creadle’s, confident that things are perfect and our futures will be just as perfect as our present. But the one thing Brad and I should both know is nothing stays that way, and unfortunately, when we wake the next morning, it’s anything but perfect.

Brad

IF TAYLOR WASN’T IN THE
room, I guarantee I’d be throwing some shit. My past is behind me. My future is with Taylor and Emerson. Hell, I have the damn ring for Taylor at my parents’, but fuck if I can ask her to marry a loser.

Loser. That’s exactly what I am. Taylor clicks off the television that I’ve been fixed on since she took Emerson to Mrs. Allan’s. No need for her to see her dad as the failure he’ll always be.

“Talk to me.” She sits and the fact she called off work to babysit me makes me hate myself more.

“There’s nothing to say, except you’re never free of your past, are you?”

“I don’t think it’s as bad as we think. Maybe people won’t care.”

Hijacking the remote away from her hand, I click on Sports Center. There’s the same anchor, Jeff Billings, who tore Tanner apart months ago.

“Brad Ashby, does anyone remember him? His five minutes of fame happened when he had to save his best friend from being torn to shreds by the media as an upcoming Olympian. He admitted Tanner McCain’s innocence and his own guilt for the failed drug test two years prior at Michigan University. Now months later, Tanner McCain is on a commercial endorsing the gym he owns. Oh, excuse me, partially owns. The other owner happens to be Wes Jenkins, who was another Olympian hopeful who had a car accident his senior year, which ruined his shoulder. Cheaters and fakes are what Tanner McCain and Brad Ashby are to me.”

I throw the remote across the room and it lands in the Christmas tree we bought a week ago.

“Sometimes negative press is just as good as positive press.” Taylor’s trying, I’ll give her that, but there’s no use.

“I’m going out.” I grab my keys and jacket, slamming the door behind me. “Guess not,” I mumble to myself. I’m not even at my truck yet, when my parents pull in the driveway, blocking my way.

“You aren’t running.” My dad climbs out, pointing his finger at me. “We’re not going to take this lying down.”

My mom joins him, wrapping her arms around my neck. “It’s okay, sweetie. We’ll get past this.”

Taylor steps on the stoop, wrapping her sweater around her a little tighter. “Come in.” She ushers my parents inside.

I give her a tight smile to acknowledge she hadn’t run after me, but I see her purse and keys thrown on the table by the door. I should have known she’s not about to let me hide from my problems now.

“Sit down and let’s discuss it.” Chris’s eyes veer to the television. “Let’s turn that shit off. Fucking asshole.”

My phone rings and I click ignore, not in the mood for anyone. When my mom’s phone rings a second later, I can guess it was Piper.

Mom retrieves it out of her purse and stands up. “Yeah, we’re here,” she whispers into the phone. “No, it’s not good.”

“First of all, why this guy gives a shit or how he even knew about the commercial is ludicrous. I talked to Rick on the way over, and we can file a slander suit against him.”

“It’s useless, Dad. It’s over. I went too public and should have kept quiet. How can I expect people to trust a cheater?”

“People overcome mistakes.” I’m surprised my dad of all people is willing to admit it.

I clench my fist to keep my hands from shaking, quickly shutting down to everything around me. They think I’m listening, my nodding head tells them I am, but I’m not. I’m sinking faster than they can reach me. Then without warning, I’m back two years ago when Tanner got the call and I didn’t.

Taylor

He sits there numb to everything around him. It’s been eight hours, and the local stations have now picked up on the Sports Center’s story. Things are getting worse, not better. Not that Brad knows because he just sits there in front of an off television.

At least he didn’t disappear on me when I drove his parents to Mrs. Allan’s to pick up Em. They’ve taken her to their house for the night because it’s time for Brad and me to either rise up from the ashes, or well, I’d rather not think of the flip side.

I sit on my coffee table, so he has no choice but to look at me. Clicking on my photos on my phone, I display pictures of him and Em together outside in the snow, picking out the Christmas tree, and swimming together. “See this little girl? She’s the reason you are going to stand up and face that asshole who’s slandering her daddy. You are going to prove him wrong and that you’ve changed.”

No answer, not that I expected one. Brad’s stubbornness knows no end.

“If you want to run away, I’ll take that job in Arizona and we’ll make a life out there. The three of us. You can hide from it. The choice is yours, Brad. You have to decide if you are going to fight this or slither away like a weasel.”

I stand and walk upstairs, crossing my fingers he chooses the right decision.

Brad

“What do you want me to do? Fight a war I can’t win? They only speak the truth, not lies. I can’t defend that.”

“Yes, you can.” Taylor stops moving up the stairs and sits next to me. “People change, Brad, and all you have to do is show them.”

I shake my head, unsure how I’m supposed to do that.

Dylan’s name shows up on my vibrating phone next to me.

“Answer it,” she urges. “Everyone’s been calling for you all day, wanting to talk to you.”

Before I can stop her, she swipes her finger across the screen and answers.

“Yes, he’s right here.” She holds the phone out to me, and I roll my eyes, but take it.