-- Taylor --
Okay the LAST thing in the world I would have expected would be her and Zac…Ike maybe, but Zac? Really? He’s just so….he’s just Zac.
“Taylor its not…”Caroline said and then stopped because there was nothing she could say.
“NO it is.”I said and turned from her to walk back to the hotel. I was done with this shit tonight. I would never be able to look at the two of them the same again.
“TAYLOR STOP!”she yelled and grabbed my arm as I made it to the stairs leading into the back of the hotel.
“WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!”I yelled at her as I turned around throwing my hands into the air. I am so mad right now I can barely see straight.
“I didn’t…we didn’t…it just happened I don’t know Tay.”she said and I rolled my eyes and looked away from her. It literally hurt me to look at her.
“I can’t…I can’t even look at you right now.”I said clenching my jaw. I pulled my arm out of hers and went back into the hotel to confront my ten thousand other problems.
--Zac—
Okay so that’s not exactly how I had planned that. Hell I didn’t really even plan it, it just seemed right at the moment. I looked up as she turned back to me, fury was in her eyes.
“WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT??!”she yelled trying to hold back her tears. I had fucked everything up for her and Taylor. I don’t care.
“You weren’t exactly stopping me.”wrong thing to say, but I said it anyways. It was the damn truth. She was at just as much fault as I was.
“ZAC! Are you serious? We would NEVER work!”she said and I was crushed a little. She shook her head and sighed.
“Why Caroline? Because of Taylor. He is getting married and having a kid, you guys would never work.”I said and she knew I was right.
“But that does not mean he should see me making out with you.”she said calming down. “Zac you’re his brother.”she said and for a second I felt kind of bad, but then I remembered how he treated her and it was all gone. I had horrible resentment for my brother and everything that happened between them. It was obvious she was heartbroken. I just wanted to make her feel better through all of this mess.
“I don’t care what he thinks. I just wanted you to know how I have always felt about you that’s all.”I said looking away from her. I felt her hand on my chest as she got closer to me.
“It’s not that I don’t like you Zac. I just don’t think its right.”she said giving me a side smile. I looked down at her hand then back up at her face and tried so hard not to get mad. I was frustrated with the whole thing.
“Whatever.”I said and brushed past her walking back to the hotel. I heard her yell for me to wait but I just kept on walking.
--Caroline—
So you would think I must feel like the luckiest girl in the world having two of the hottest brothers in the world fighting over me, but I don’t. I actually don’t think I have ever felt this horrible. Walking into the elevator I silently wished that it would fall to the bottom and I would never be found again. I was staying in a hotel room with Zac, Taylor, and Natalie so I thought it would be interesting to see how this all played out. As I walked out of the elevator I was surprised to see Taylor sitting up against the wall outside of our room. I pulled out my door key as I walked down the hall but stopped as I saw Natalie stick her head out the door to say something to him. He looked so freaking unhappy and she looked so…hmmm… controlling. She shut the door as I walked up closer to Taylor and he looked up at me. I could tell he was hurt. I put my hand on the door handle but dropped it as he started to speak.
“You could have anybody in the entire world…but you choose my brother why?”he knew exactly what to say to make me feel horrible. Time to defend yourself again.
“I didn’t choose anybody Taylor, he just kissed me that’s all.”I said shrugging. “Besides your getting married why do you even care?”I asked keeping my voice at a whisper so they would not hear us talking from inside.
“I didn’t choose to get married either…”he said looking away from me. He was right I thought as I slid down the wall to sit next to him.
“But you did choose to have sex with her.”I said and his eyes got pretty big. I guess he was surprised I had said that.
“Sometimes I wish I was back in Tulsa ya know? I wish none of this had ever happened..”he paused for a second and I knew he was envisioning it in his head. He pulled his knees up to his chest and sighed. “And it’s like when I think about it I know we’d be engaged if not married by now, sure we wouldn’t have as much money but at least we’d be happy.”he said and I was in awe. That was really sweet. I always thought I was crazy. I never knew he thought that way.
--TAYLOR—
She was looking at me like I had said something completely off the wall. I guess this was the first time I had been completely honest with her about the way I thought of us. I could see the water building up in her eyes and the last thing I wanted to do was make her cry again.
“It’s weird how one wrong thing can rearrange your whole life huh?”she said laying her head on my shoulder. I missed the way her hair smelled. It was familiar. It made me feel at home.
“I’m sorry. I feel so helpless like there is nothing I can do now. I’m just stuck.”I said and she looked up at me so that our noses touched. I knew Nat was in the other room, but I pressed my lips to hers anyways. I could feel her face scrunch up, she was trying not to cry, as I put my hand on the side of her face. This was the best I had felt in a long time kissing her.
“Why are you doing this to me?”she asked pulling away from me as the reality set in as to what we were doing. I didn’t have an answer. “I can’t do this Taylor. I can’t.”she said and stood up. I grabbed her hand to keep her from leaving me out here.
“I didn’t…”I said but couldn’t form the words to make any of this better.
“Don’t.”she said holding up her hand to stop me as she shut her eyes. “Just don’t, there is nothing you can say to make any of this better so just shut up.”She was getting mad and upset.
“Be quiet they are going to here you.”I said holding my finger up to my mouth so she would shut the hell up. This hotel was deathly quiet. I knew they would hear her.
“NO! Maybe she should hear it! If you are so God damn unhappy Taylor then tell her, instead of pulling me around in circles! It’s not fair to me. There is nothing we can do now, so just forget about it! Live with it!”she yelled and pushed the door open to the hotel room and walked in and slammed the door in my face as I stood up. Not exactly what I expected her reaction to be, but she was right. I was somewhat leading her on, if that made any sense at all. I had to be with Natalie no matter what now.
--ZAC—
The yelling between them had stopped as light flooded the room and Caroline stormed in letting the door slam behind her. She looked furious. Natalie was already asleep and I had just turned the TV off. She walked into the bathroom and returned a few minutes later with her pajamas on. I closed my eyes to pretend I was asleep as she walked over to the bed we were sharing, which had not seemed so uncomfortable until now. I wished there was a river between us. She pulled the covers back on her side and breathed out hard as she layed back beside me. She layed there for a few minutes and then I felt her elbow in my side.
“Are you awake?”she whispered.
“Yea.”I whispered back.
“I’m sorry.”she said sniffling and I could tell she was crying. She was trying to hide it so well. “I’m sorry I reacted that way.” I felt her hand slide into mine. I didn’t know what she meant by doing that, but I didn’t care.
“I don’t know what to say.”I said laying on my back turning only my head to look at her.
“Don’t say anything.”she said looking at me. “Just tell me it’ll be okay.” Poor girl. She was a wreck. She was trying so hard to smile.
“It’s gonna be okay.”I said and smiled back at her. I brushed my hand across her cheek as she closed her eyes and the door opened. Taylor walked back in and I felt her hand slide out of mine. She sighed and rolled over on her side away from me. I didn’t hear a word from her the rest of the night.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Zac really?
