Page 56 of Inevitable Secrets

Taylor looked at Marty and could feel her angst. It wasn’t being left in the dark that bothered her as much as Henry keeping her chained in that room, and not telling her what was happening on the other side.

“Can I ask you something?” Taylor asked gently, sitting next to Marty on the bed. “Whose idea was it to not tell Derrick about your relationship?”

Guilt pooled in Marty’s eyes before she looked down. “I just… well when it… I wasn’t sure.” Marty swallowed hard and took a breath. “When it all started, I wasn’t sure how it would go,” she admitted, shrugging. “So why get everyone involved, you know?” Taylor nodded. “And then Derrick just hated him, so I was hoping he would warm up to him first and then he went and got shot and now I don’t want to upset him. I want Derrick to accept him. I don't want to tell Derrick about us and then he flips out and Henry gets hurt.”

“So turn it around, Marty, and apply the same reasoning to what Henry is doing with you,” Taylor encouraged. “Maybe Henry doesn’t want you to know because he is afraid it will get you hurt the more you know.”

Marty groaned as she flopped herself backwards on top of the bed with a small bounce. “I know you’re right,” she admitted, “but it still sucks.”

“I know,” Taylor agreed.

“And he is never around. I hardly get to see him while he is doing all this secret stuff,” Marty whined.

“Well that’s my fault,” Taylor said.

“It’s his job, Taylor, but to not know, to just be told he is taking care of it and not to worry—”

“It makes you worry more?” Taylor guessed.

“Yes,” Marty said in relieved agitation, like she was so grateful someone else finally got it.

“You have to show him you believe in him, too, Marty,” Taylor said. “It’s give and take. You want him to divulge something important, but you aren’t willing to share your relationship, something important tohim,with Derrick. Hell, I wouldn’t even know officially if I hadn’t walked in on you two going at it in the kitchen,” she reminded Marty.

“So I should tell Derrick?”

Taylor was silent for a minute, thinking about all the happenings and changes around her.

“I’ll take that as a no,” Marty said interrupting Taylor’s thoughts.

“I think you should slowly tell him you are in a relationship,” Taylor stated finally. “Let him warm up to that idea, let him see how happy that makes you before you drop the H-bomb.”

“H-bomb?” Marty laughed. “Oh my God, that is our new code name for him, H-bomb,” Marty said excitedly.

“Maybe just bomb,” Taylor reconsidered. “The H could be too specific.”

Marty laughed her full belly-and-snort laugh, then took a breather. “Thanks Taylor,” she said. “Talking it out helped me, and I haven’t had anyone to talk it out with.”

“Yes, talking helps for sure,” Taylor agreed. “We should probably all see a therapist.”

“Yeah, we should get on that,” Marty acknowledged.

Taylor’s ring tone for Derrick suddenly filled the room. She smiled, “Hello?”

“When are you coming home? I am starving,” he whined.

“Well I am home, but you were napping,” she informed him.

“Oh,” he says, “well, where are you? I have looked everywhere.”

“Clearly not. I am in Marty’s room, talking,” she answered.

“Well Jesus Jehoshaphat, I have been all over this place. It's bigger than the Louvre—it’s too much,” he complained.

“You sound hangry. Meet you in the kitchen?” Taylor asked.

“Uh huh,” Derrick mumbled.

“You are already there and are eating something, aren’t you?” Taylor guessed. “I can hear you talking with food in your mouth.”

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