Damaged (Damaged Series Book 1)

by J. Benson

  I smiled. "Your family is amazing. They're all so sweet." The nervousness was fading and I was beginning to realize that I did in fact like them all. "What's not to like?"

  He sighed. "It's just that I know they can be a bit much sometimes. Especially the younger ones."

  "No, they're adorable." I smiled and placed a hand lightly on his arm. His hand moved across the center console and slipped into mine. I held it tightly on my lap. I paused for a moment, "Actually, to be honest I was completely freaking out. I am rotten with kids, I mean, normally if I go anywhere near kids they scream and cry.... I'm just glad your siblings didn't cry the second they saw me."

  Taylor laughed softly. "Oh come on, you're great with kids. That can't be true."

  I raised my eyebrows. "Oh, please. Kids are terrified of me. I have no experience with them and they terrify me. They can smell fear."

  Taylor roared with laughter, shaking his head. I thought for a moment he might actually have to pull his car off the road due to how hard he was laughing. But he managed to pull himself together before his car went off the road.

  The car fell silent for a moment.

  "One more thing." He spoke up. "Something you said at lunch the other day."

  I furrowed my brow, trying to remember.

  "You were talking to Lisa and Tara... you mentioned that you didn't have a dress for the dance... You'll have to do some shopping then, right? Maybe I can come with you..."

  I smiled. "You would do that? Even though I'd be in and out of the dressing rooms all day?"

  "I don't mind. It would be something we could do together, right? You'll want opinions right? I think I'm qualified..."

  I started to laugh, forgetting all my nervousness and tension. "We'll see."

  "Hey, come on. I happen to have impeccable fashion taste." He straightened his shoulders. "Come on, we can make a date out of it. We can go out to dinner, and spend some time together... come on, it'll be fun." He insisted. He pulled his car into the parking lot at the local movie theater.

  I sighed. "You promise you won't be a total pain in the ass?"

  Taylor looked shocked. "Come on, when have I ever been a pain in the ass?"

  Chapter 34:

  Easy Date

  Taylor and I arrived at the movie theater a little early. We left our coats in the car and made a mad dash through the near frigid temperature and the gently falling snow toward the front door. He held open the heavy glass door for me, and we stepped into a too warm atrium, and a theater that was already swimming with people. I glanced around, trying to get a feel for the place.

  In New York, the movie theaters were massive multiplexes that housed their own stores and restaurants. A person could go to the movie theater to see a movie and spend all day there, with plenty of food and coffee shops inside the theater doors. This movie theater seemed like a throwback to a previous era; one where the only food available was popcorn and junk food.

  Taylor moved his arm around me and led me toward the ticket both. I was already reaching into my purse for my wallet.

  "What are you doing?" He asked, taking my hand.

  "I'm going to get my own ticket." I protested, looking up at him with wide eyes.

  "No, no, no you're not." He laughed. "I invited you out; I intend to pay for your evening. I mean, what kind of a date would it be if I let you pay for your own night out?"

  "Taylor... I can get my own. There's no reason for you to pay for everything." I insisted.

  He smirked. "You don't have a choice. Put your wallet away."

  I sighed. "Okay, fine. You pay for the tickets and I'll get the snacks."

  "That's not going to happen either." He said with a smirk.

  "Taylor..." I scolded, but my voice sounded more like a whine.

  "Come on," He grasped my hand and pulled me toward an awaiting cashier.

  He asked for two tickets for the movie we had agreed on, and the cashier printed and handed over our tickets. I slipped my hand into his, and watched for the familiar sly smile to surface. His smile made me smile.

  "How about some popcorn?" He asked softly, with his free hand brushing my hair back from my face.

  "No thank you. I think maybe just a diet coke or something?" I smiled. My face was still slightly numb from the cold outside, but his fingers were delightfully warm.

  "Come on, you can't see a movie without popcorn. It's part of the whole experience of going to see a movie." He said.

  I laughed. "Okay. Can we split one? I don't think I can eat a whole bag on my own. Especially not after that massive dinner at your house." I smiled.

  He chuckled. "Sure. We'd better get a large then. I'm starving!" He announced.

  I stood frozen in shock, wondering how he could possibly be hungry again after eating so much at his parent's house. His hand slipped from mine as he stepped forward in line to place his order for the popcorn and drinks.

  "Do you want anything else, Emma?" He turned, realizing I wasn't directly next to him. "Emma?"

  "No thanks." I quickly reached his side. "I'm actually still full from dinner."

  He laughed and handed out even more money to the girl behind the counter. Taylor tucked the massive bag of popcorn under his arm and reached for the sodas.

  "Let me take something." I offered, picking up a drink in each hand.

  He smiled, "Let's go find a seat."

  I followed him toward the row of theaters, assuming he would know which way to go. I followed him into a theater, which was entirely empty.

  "I guess we're earlier than we thought." I mused out loud, glancing around the already dark room.

  "That's okay. Where do you want to sit?" He asked casually, moving aside slightly to let me pass. I moved past him up the stairs until I found the exact center of the theater and found two seats in the middle of the row. These two seats gave us a perfect dead-center view of the screen.

  "Wise choice." Taylor mused beside me.

  I smiled softly and sat down, struggling to manage both over-sized drinks. I nearly spilled one on my lap.

  "Whoa! Careful!" Taylor's hands were immediately there to right the drink. "You don't want to spill anything on that pretty dress of yours." He grinned.

  I grinned foolishly at him as he settled back into his chair. He positioned the bag of popcorn between us and somehow managed to move his arm around the back of my chair, casually.

  I couldn't hide my smile; he was being exceptionally cute.

  Taylor cleared his throat harshly. "You know, I was thinking... If we're going shopping tomorrow-"

  I interrupted before he could finish, "You really don't have to go with me, you know. I'll be in dressing rooms all day, talking about color and frills and... style. It would be really boring for you."

  He laughed. "It's okay, really. I have three sisters... Sadly, I'm kind of used to it. Besides, I'd rather shop for clothes than play with dolls." He wrinkled his nose.

  I laughed.

  "I was thinking, though... maybe we could drive to Oklahoma City and shop. I imagine it would have more choices, and there is a large mall with plenty of options, I think. We could make a day of it..."

  I knitted my eyebrows in confusion. "How far is that?"

  "About an hour's drive." He smiled. "You really don't know the state well? I mean, surely you came to visit your grandmother here over the years..."

  I shook my head. "Not since I was very little. After that, my dad always flew Grandma out to New York for holidays and vacations. I'm not sure why, she hates the city. But I'd never really left New York until a couple of months ago. Until I'd arrived here." I admitted.

  "Well, I'll get to show you around a bit then, if you want." He grinned.

  "Okay." I smiled. "I'd like that."

  His grin faded slowly, and I saw his Adams apple bob in his throat. I didn't need to be a mind reader to know that there was something on his mind.

  "What's wrong?" I asked curiously, furrowing my brow.

  He sighed. "I don't know...
I just imagined doing something more... I don't know... elaborate. It's our first real date... you know since we officially started dating. I thought it should be something more..." He paused searching for the right words. "Something more." He finished.

  "Taylor, it's okay." I laughed softly. "I quite like this... I'm not one for a big flashy expensive date or anything. I much rather like something low key and private." I replied. I slipped my hand into his. "Besides, there was that whole horrifying stunt with the dirt bike. You could have killed us both. That's a pretty memorable first date." I shrugged.

  He warmly squeezed my hand and smiled at me.

  "I know, but..." He sighed. "This seems like such an easy date, you know? Like it's nothing special..."

  "This is special." I smiled. "It's very special. Trust me. I've never really been on dates before, but this is nice. I'm enjoying myself."

  He nodded, seeming a little more at ease. "Okay."

  "Really. I'm having a great time, already." I assured. I leaned toward him and lightly kissed his cheek.

  "Okay, good." He grinned. "Me too."

  He sat back in his chair and trained his eyes on the screen. I watched him carefully.

  The lights dimmed suddenly, and it felt remarkably early. I glanced anxiously around the theater and realized that the entire theater was empty aside from the two of us. I wondered if more people would show up during the commercials or previews, but no one else came in. There were no other movie-goers running in at the last minute to make the movie.

  I glanced at Taylor out of the corner of my eye; he didn't seem to notice. His eyes were still focused ahead of him on the screen.

  I nestled back in my seat, silently questioning my sanity. I couldn't believe how anxious I was feeling, simply being alone with my boyfriend. It still felt strange to refer to him as my boyfriend. It seemed too good to be true to think that I had a boyfriend, let alone one as sweet and perfect as Taylor.I sighed and tried to relax enough to watch the movie.

  Taylor's hand moved suddenly toward my lap. I felt my eyes widen and I nearly pushed him away as his hand brushed my thigh. For a moment I thought the worst. I was afraid he'd brought me into a darkened movie theater to take advantage of me.

  Before I could even sort through my random and erratic thoughts, his hand located mine and his fingers squeezed around mine.

  I looked up at him and smiled, meeting his matching smile. I squeezed his hand reassuringly, which turned his soft smile into a large grin.

  I returned my gaze to the screen, and breathed a heavy, relieved sigh.

  Taylor reached for his drink and took a sip. I jumped.

  "Are you okay?" Taylor whispered.

  I forced a smile. "I'm fine. Sorry, I'm just... distracted, I guess." I mused.

  Taylor frowned slightly. "Are you okay? Do you want to go? We can do something else..." He offered.

  I shook my head. "No, no. I'm fine." I insisted. "Really."

  Taylor smiled, leaning toward me and lightly kissing my temple, it was a warm and sweet gesture.

  I felt like I was losing my mind. After all he had done for me; I still couldn't completely trust him. I knew I had trust issues, but sometimes the realization of how deep my trust issues ran disturbed me. Why was it such a struggle to let my guard down and let him in?

  I shut my eyes tightly and tried to clear my thoughts and focus on the movie in front of me.

  Chapter 35:

  Not So Big City

  Taylor picked me up bright and early. He insisted on taking his car, fearing that my car might not survive the trek to the city in the unseasonably cool October weather. I was slightly insulted, but he was actually right. I climbed into his warm car and fastened my seatbelt around myself. Taylor eagerly greeted me with a gentle kiss and backed out of the driveway.

  I watched acres of frozen farmland pass by the passenger's side window as Taylor sang along to every song on the radio. It never ceased to amaze me how he knew every single word to every single song, no matter the genre. Eventually we reached the city limits.

  Once we arrived at a mall, we left our coats in the car and ran together across the parking lot and into the building. Taylor took my hand and pulled me alongside him, slowing his run to a pace that I could easily keep up with. I laughed softly. I couldn't help myself from laughing; he brought out a giddiness in me that I couldn't deny.

  My teeth were still chattering as we walked through the mall.

  He slid his hoodie around my shoulders, lightly rubbing my arms to warm me. "Better?" He asked with a smile.

  "Yes, thank you." I said gratefully. Not only was in warm, but it was his and it was still lightly scented with his cologne.

  We were early, and the stores were just opening and serving their first customers. The mall echoed with the sounds of heavy metal gates clanging open.

  "So where do you want to start?" He asked.

  "Um..." I looked around, a little overwhelmed by my new surroundings. There were so many stores, and the mall seemed to branch off in so many different directions, it seemed to go on forever. I was entirely lost at which direction to start off in.

  He eyed me questionably. "Don't tell me you've never been to a mall before."

  "Not one like this." I admitted. "I'm used to specialty stores; places that specialize in like one thing, and I'm not used to so many stores grouped like this..." I sighed. "I sound like such a spoiled rich kid... I hate myself."

  "Don't say that!" He scolded.

  I sighed. "How about a coffee shop?" I suggested, desperate to change the subject. I rubbed my hands together briskly. "I need something to warm me up." I added, though his sweat shirt was doing a decent job already. Coffee was always the answer to how to start the day.

  "Sure." He agreed, almost too eagerly.

  He seemed to know the way, so I let him tow me along by the hand. He insisted on paying again, and I didn't protest, to avoid a scene.

  We got our coffees and wandered down the mall until we discovered a dress shop. Dreading the inevitable hassle, I suggested we explore the mall a little more before getting straight into dress shopping. Taylor quickly and far too easily talked me into at least looking at the dresses inside.

  And within mere minutes, I had an armful of dresses to try on.

  "You really don't mind?" I asked as he followed me faithfully toward the dressing room.

  He shrugged, his hands deep in his pockets. "You agreed to go with me; I agreed to help you find a dress."

  It was faulty logic, but I wasn't about to argue.

  He flopped down on a bench, and leaned back against the wall, folding his hands behind his head. "Okay, dazzle me." He announced.

  I laughed. "Okay, prepare to be disappointed."

  I slipped into the dressing room.

  I struggled into the first dress and with one look in the mirror, I sighed. I looked down at the sage green frock. The dress fell just below my knees and flared out from the bust, making me look like an oddly shaped green triangle. Somehow the dress managed to make my hips look massive, like I was wearing a tent.

  "Are you okay in there? You've been in there a while... how long does it take to put on a dress?" He demanded impatiently.

  I sighed. "It's on, already."

  "Are you coming out then?" He asked. By the sound of his voice, it sounded like he was right outside the door.

  "Nope." I mused. "Not even for a second."

  "Oh come on! We've come all this way, and you went through the trouble of putting the dress on... why can't I see?" He sounded like a pouting child.

  "It's hideous." I replied. "Honestly, it's terrible."

  "Come on, it can't be that bad." His voice suddenly sounded closer. "I'm going to open the door so you won't have to come out."

  "No!" I gasped, and slid the bolt across to lock the door.

  "Alright, alright." He chuckled.

  I wriggled out of the hideous dress and tried on the next one. It was an improvement by far, but I still wasn't sure I wante
d him to see.

  I sighed, assuming he would pout if I didn't come out.

  I unlocked the door and stepped out into the hall. This dress was strapless and solid black. I appreciated the simplicity and elegance of the dress. The dress fit, but not around the bust. I had to hold it up to keep from embarrassing myself.

  "That's a nice dress." He mused.

  I sighed, "Are you kidding? I definitely don't have the boobs to hold it up."

  "Well, that's some dangerous territory I'm going to avoid..." He smirked. "Something else then?"

  "Definitely." I turned and disappeared back into the dressing room.

  The next dress was a hideous. It was bright red and to be honest, I hated the color, and it was far too frilly for my taste, but I presented it to Taylor anyway. I lifted my arms up, palms out as if I were surrendering.

  He grinned. "Better."

  I rolled my eyes and turned my back to him, glaring at myself in the mirror. "Are you kidding?" I demanded. "This has to be the ugliest dress I've ever seen. It's like a bad eighties prom dress."

  Taylor laughed a little harder than necessary.

  I smoothed the ruffles down and around my hips, trying to make the dress look less retro.

  "You know, this city is kind of pathetic for the state capital." I said with my back still to him.

  "Sorry, we can't all live in giant metropolises with nineteen million people in them." Taylor teased, playfully.

  I stared at him wide eyed in the reflection of the mirror.

  He shrugged. "I googled it."

  I burst out laughing.

  I examined myself in the mirror one last time. "Definitely not this dress. It makes me feel like a... frilly... harlot."

  He laughed. "Did you pick out more?"

  "No. Maybe we can try a different store?" I suggested.

  "Sure." He grinned at me in the mirror. "But first there's a really great bookstore you should see."Suddenly dress shopping had a silver lining. "I would love that."