“Nana gave me that car before she died. It’s in my name,” I remind him. He slams his fists on the table and then grabs his plate. Before he leaves the room he turns, with his face beet red.
“Taylor, next time you come in my house you better have a different job. Lea, it was good to meet you, but you need to take that ring out of your nose before you step through those doors. And cover up those marks on your arms,” he says in disgust before storming from the room.
Scott leans back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. “Thank fuck.”
“Scott, language,” my mom warns. She looks behind her, seeing that my dad didn’t come back, she throws a small grin his way.
“It’s not the same when you are gone. No one knows how to piss off that man quite like you, Tater.” Scott laughs.
“Believe me, it’s unintentional,” I say with a hint of sarcasm.
“I have to agree with dad. We are men of the church and it doesn’t look good to have my sister, his daughter, working at a bar,” Sean tells us.
“Yeah, well, no one asked you Sean,” Scott says as he throws his middle finger up.
“Unless your church people go to bars, they’ll never know. Are you afraid they’ll go to the bar?” Lea looks to Sean, a smile plastered on her face.
“BURN!” Scott booms, exploding with laughter.
“It’s just a job with good tips, relax guys,” I say.
I glance around the room. Sean is flushed red with anger. Mandy avoids my gaze, she rubs his arm in comfort and it takes everything I have not to shake sense into her. Scott and Lea are chuckling. My mom stuffs a bite into her mouth to cover her smile.
“How are classes?” My mom asks, turning the conversation around.
“Fine so far, everything’s easy.”
“What about you, Lea? What’s your major?” My mom asks.
“Early childhood development; it’s great so far, I just started my second year. I took classes in high school. Hopefully I will finish in four semesters,” she says, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin. I hear something shuffle in the kitchen and I look up, hoping that my dad won’t come in and ruin our dinner.
“That’s great Lea. I’m a third grade teacher, you will love it,” my mom tells her.
“You haven’t decided your major?” Sean asks, looking to me with a smirk.
“Nope,” I say, daring him to start with me.
“It took a year for me to find my calling. The church offered me an internship and I took it, a few years later I’m the youth minister. Are you interested in a paid internship?” He asks me and it takes all I have to not roll my eyes at him.
“I’m not driving an hour…” I pick my glass up, finishing my tea. His eyes hold mine, intently.
“Carol, dinner was amazing. I haven’t had a home cooked meal in too long. Thanks for having me,” Lea says, tossing her napkin on the plate.
“I will send leftovers with you,” my mom says, frowning. She gathers plates and leaves the room. Sean pulls Mandy from the table, they sneak off to the living room.
“So, what’s college life really like for you?” Scott laughs.
He sits on the table, propping his legs on the chair. Although Sean is his twin, they couldn’t be more different. Scott’s boyish charm gives him an advantage over Sean. He flashes his perfect white teeth and pushes his dark, shaggy curls from his forehead.
“She’s only been drunk one time,” Lea says, holding out her finger.
“You can do better than that, Tater.” He looks at me, displeased. I give him a look that says you’re so stupid. Most older brothers would be happy their baby sister isn’t going wild, but he’s encouraging me.
“Oh, she will,” Lea assures him.
He shoots her the thumbs up as my mom enters the room. He tells us he has to get home because he has to go in early in the morning. We say our goodbyes and he squeezes me into a hug and shakes Lea’s hand before leaving. My mom, teary eyed, hands me a sack full of food. She wraps her arms around me.
“Don’t wait too long to visit,” she sniffles.
“Apparently I’m not welcome here until I quit the bar, and that is not happening,” I remind her. I can practically see the thoughts tumble around her head.
“We can tell him you did. He’ll never know the difference,” she said. She smiles but it doesn’t hit her eyes. I give her a warning glare; I’m not having this conversation again.
“Mom, stop,” I say, pushing from her grip. “I’m not lying to him, and you shouldn’t either. You don’t have to put up with this.”
“I want to meet this Hayze fella.” She dabs under her eyes, wiping tears away.
“Again, he’s just a friend,” I huff, glaring at Lea.
“Taylor has a boyfriend?” Scott asks, walking back into the room. “Whose ass do I need to kick?”
“I thought you left! And there will be no ass kicking! I do not have a boyfriend! She was kidding, right Lea?” I look at her for encouragement and she shrugs her shoulders.
“Language,” mom whispers. My mom and Scott eye me suspiciously, not buying it. Sean hugs me goodbye, and my mom and Scott grab a second hug.
“I’m coming to see you soon, Tater!” Scott threatens with a smile.
“Just call first.” Lea winks.
I walk outside while Lea grabs the food my mom sent with us. Rugby comes trotting through the yard again. I crouch down and bury my face in his fur, squeezing him. I spent too many nights doing this with him. I would come out in the yard late at night just to get away from my dad. I found that if I buried my head in Rugby’s fur, it would drown out the yelling. Lea clears her throat; I jump up and murmur an apology. I pat his head once more before getting in my car.
As we drive off, I watch as my house disappears behind the hill. I speed down the oil top, ready to have the city limit sign behind me. My blood boils with anger from my dad’s attitude, he didn’t even have the decency to tell me bye.
“It wasn’t so bad. I liked your mom and Scott,” Lea tells me.
I drive in silence. Moments pass before I unclench my jaw. “Yeah…My dad’s an asshole,” I seethe.
“Yeah, he is, but so is mine,” she says and laughs once without humor. At least we have one thing in common.
five
“What’s so funny?” Hayze opens the door with narrow eyes.
Lea continues to laugh as she pushes past him. She walks inside and collapses on his couch. As I walk in I’m hit by a smell, not your usual bachelor pad, dirty clothes smell. No, a candle lit in another room smell. The first time I was in his apartment we were rushed to go out, this time I walk around looking in his private space.
The living room has a sofa and your typical flat screen mounted on the wall, the walls are white and the laminate floor runs through the living room, kitchen, and hallway. The kitchen is spotless; nothing is displayed on the cabinets. I run my index finger along the bar that separates the living and kitchen area, pleasantly surprised I don’t find dirt.
A small archway holds two doors. I inch closer to the lone shelf placed by the flat screen. DVDs and CDs line the space. With a cocked eyebrow, I move closer. I cut my eyes back to the couch and then to the shelf. I’m seeing this right, the movies and music collection are organized far beyond my comprehension. Placed in categories and alphabetically listed within each genre.
“Did you do this?” I turn, inspecting Hayze.
“Yeah, don’t touch it,” he says. He smiles but I see truth behind his threat.
“That Corey guy from the bar asked me out today.” My face twists into disgust.
Hayze looks to me, his gaze is stern. As Lea giggles over the scene and I watch him grow impatient. He sighs, takes a seat on the couch and watches her with a deep scowl growing on his face.
“It was in public! And she shot him down, you should’ve seen his face,” She laughs.
“You said no?” His amber eyes dart to me, searching my face.
“Of course I s
aid no!”
Lea’s phone rings, she pats her pockets until she finds it. She brings it to her ear, rolling her eyes. “Its work, I’ve gotta take this,” she mouths and covers the speaker. She disappears into the hallway, leaving me alone with Hayze. He hasn’t taken his eyes off of me since she told him I said no. He’s watching me like I’m a weird science experiment.
“What happened?” He urges.
“Nothing, she’s making a huge deal out of it. He waited for me after class with his buddies and asked me out… I said no. No big deal.” I shrug my shoulders.
“He wasn’t a douche?”
“No—” Lea stumps down the hallway and throws her hands in the air.
“Another no call, no show, I have to go in!” She groans and pulls her black flats on each foot.
“Oh, that sucks.” I grab my bag that’s tossed on the floor and slip on my shoes.
“Taylor, wait. I can take you home.” Hayze stands, his hand rubs the back of his head as he waits for my response. “I mean, if you want to.”
“Yeah, that could be fun,” I say.
Lea watches our exchange with amusement. Her lips press into hard line, her eyes crinkle as she fights a smile. She pulls her side bag over her head and pulls her keys out before leaving.
“This doesn’t mean we’re not going shopping! See ya later,” she says, looking at me. She winks at Hayze and he closes the door behind her.
“Want a drink?” Hayze asks.
“No, thanks,” I say, gaining awareness of what I agreed to. I toss my bag on the floor and crash on the couch, ignoring the way he watches me. He falls on the middle of the couch, leaving only inches between us. He brings the rim of his glass to his mouth and takes a sip of water. With each breath I take, I grow more self-conscious.
“How was the family dinner?” He asks, breaking the silence.
“As good as it could be,” I sigh, “Lea fit in. My mom and brother loved her.”
He nods. “I heard…You didn’t tell me what happened with that guy. He didn’t fuck with you again, did he?”
I laugh, “No.”
“Then why’d you turn him down?”
I slip my shoes off, tossing them on the floor. I tuck my legs under me and face him. I shrug my shoulders. “I just didn’t want to, I guess.”
“You’re not against dating completely, just that guy?” The corners of his mouth quirks slightly, his dimples make a brief appearance.
I smile, nodding. “Just that guy, well, and pretty much every guy I went to high school with.”
“But not all of them,” He asks. When he senses my reluctance, he nudges my shoulder and regards me with amusement. “Tell me, what was Taylor Thompson like in high school?” He chuckles, amused as if he already knows the answer before it slips from my mouth.
“Well, since, it was,” I say, I squint and pretending to count. “Just a few months ago, I would say I’m the same person.”
“C’mon, no stories? You never snuck out?” He asks, laughing as my face heats.
“Absolutely not; all of my friends did but,” sighs, “I guess I was waiting until my time.”
“Gotcha, what time is your first class tomorrow?” He asks, changing the subject.
“Nice try, but usually when you ask someone question after question, you have to cough up some answers, too.” I point my finger at him, he smiles. He doesn’t argue so I take the lead. “So, what about you, I’m sure one of the bar-flies wants more from you…”
“You’re right, they probably do.” He looks to me, eyes lit with amusement.
My jaw falls open. “You’re such an asshole,” I say, giggling.
“Never claimed to be anything else,” he says, smirking at me.
I cut my eyes at him and move on, “Why don’t you give them more?”
He laughs once, all traces of humor removed. “The girls in this town…” He shakes his head. “When I look at myself I don’t see the person I am now. I see the person I will be in ten years, and no one measures up to that.”
“Why in ten years? What’s wrong with who you are now?” I frown at him for being so hard on himself.
“Never mind,” He tells me.
“No, I’m serious Hayze. You’re going to college full time, and you’re working…”
He cuts me off. “Those are surface things, Taylor. Not everything is so black and white.”
“Is something bothering you?” My eyebrows pull together. I lift my hand, and I almost touch him for comfort. Instead, I let it fall to my lap.
“I asked for a simple story of you turning a guy down and we ended up here,” he laughs. “This is some deep shit. I do have one more question for you.”
I press my lips to the side, thinking. I guess it’s out of habit but I always grow nervous when people ask me questions. I don’t want them to know more about me, about who I used to be. But I don’t have to answer it if I don’t want to, so I agree. “Okay?”
“Can I call you Tater Bug?” Somehow he manages to get the question out before he throws his head back, laughing.
My jaw flies open. “I’m going to kill Lea!” I declare.
“I mean don’t get me wrong, I’ll settle for Tater,” he laughs.
“NO! You can call me Taylor! I need a new roommate,” I say, blushing.
“I’ll be your roommate.”
“Ugh no,” I say.
“Never say never,” He says and his serious expression falters.
“Never,” I repeat myself. “I’m not sleeping with you if that’s what tonight was about.” I jump from the couch and gather my things. He watches me with mild amusement as I pull my purse strap over and stand by the door. When he walks to the kitchen bar, I take a step back.
He chuckles, “That’s not at all what this was about. “He dangles the keys in front of me. “I have to take you to the dorms, remember?”
“Yeah, I just have an early class tomorrow.” I look down, breaking the eye contact from his amber eyes.
“Relax Tater, I won’t try anything,” he says, clearly amused with himself. “If you want to stay, I’ll take you home later? I won’t try anything.”
The front door bursts open and I jump. His roommate, Joel, walks through the apartment. He tenses when he spots me.
“Hayze, we’re about to have some company,” Joel said, he clasps him on the shoulder and walks to the kitchen.
“Oh, I’m taking her back to the dorms anyway. Joel this is Taylor,” he says, pointing to me. I smile awkwardly, hoping he doesn’t sense my unease. What happened to seconds before when Hayze was practically begging me to stay? Now he has company coming over and wants me out.
“I know who she is,” he laughs without looking back. He walks by, beer in hand and disappears into a back room.
“Let’s go, don’t want you to be late for your company,” I say. I pass by him and walk to his car. I hear him jog to my side and I look away from him.
“You mad about something?” He shoves the key in his car, unlocking it. He reaches over and switches my lock up to let me in.
“No, just disgusted by your lifestyle,” I say with a calm voice, despite my anger.
He laughs, “You were just raving about what a great person I am.”
“Yeah, you are smart, you have good work ethics, but I’m not a fan of the parade of women that fall into your bed every night,” I say. He bursts into laughter, of course, because everything is a joke to him. It’s amazing how a person I just met can get under my skin so much. For a second I understood what everyone sees in him, he had a serious conversation with me and was really sweet. But that moment is long gone. I’m counting the minutes until I can get to my apartment.
“Parade of women? If I didn’t know any better, I’d said you’re jealous.” He cuts his eyes to me and I fix my sight on the road ahead of me. He chuckles, “For your peace of mind, some of the guys from the frat are coming over tonight.”
“Okay,” I say, nonchalantly.
“The parade will
resume tomorrow night.”
I press my lips in a hard line. His grin stretches from ear to ear, I roll my eyes. His tone is playful but I know there is truth behind his words. And it makes me hate him. After an eternity we pull up to the dorms. I rip open the door and slam it closed. When the window rolls down, I sigh.
His grin is so smug. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“What?” I ask, confused. He waves once and drives off without any explanation.
“We’re both off tonight, ya know what that means?” Lea says as I walk in the dorms.
“That I can study for my tests next week?” I ask, hoping she’ll leave me alone for the night, but I know better than that, Hayze warned me last night. I toss my backpack on my twin sized bed. I collapse on my bed, pulling out my notes to study. My notebook is ripped from my hands; loose papers scatter to the floor.
“Hey!” I yell and look at her in horror.
“I promised your brother you’d get a full college experience,” she says, dangling my notebook in front of me.
“Yeah, but to stay in college I need to pass,” I huff and drop to the floor. I gather my notes, arranging them in dates before I lay them on my desk.
“Everyone has two freshman years. C’mon, let’s get dressed! Hayze will be here soon.” She senses my reluctance. I sit on the bed, not moving with a deep frown on my face. Her bottom lip pokes out.
“Please,” she whines. “You can study all weekend! I promise I won’t ask you out again!” She stops, looks around the around the room, thinking. “Well, I won’t ask you ‘til after your tests.”
“Fine.” I toss my books down and hop from my bed. She squeals and claps her hands together as she walks to our small vanity in our room.
“Okay, your hair is good.” She looks me over, face pressed in deep thought. “More makeup, less clothes,” she says, her dimples greet me.
I fall in the chair, letting her tweeze and apply makeup. I blink, adjusting to the mascara and find the mirror. My eyes are smoky on top, with a small trace underneath. I turn my head, inspecting her work.
“Not too bad,” I tell her honestly.
Hazed (Hazed & Unfazed #1) Page 6