Page 25 of Taylor
Chapter Five
Taylor
Caleb’s panicand his mother’s disgust was written over their faces when I appeared stark bollock naked earlier. Probably not my finest moment, but how the fuck was I suppose to know Caleb’s parents were at the frontdoor?
Hanging around to see what was going to play out wasn’t an option. I get enough shit from my own parents that I don’t need to get involved with anyone else’s, that’s forsure.
Everything had been going so smoothly with mine and Caleb’s transition into a relationship. I guess it was obvious something was going to derail us sooner or later. I just didn’t expect it to be his parents, or the fact he’s going away for the weekend and didn’t think to tellme.
Seeing his name lighting up my phone again pisses me off. I shut the power off and neck my drink. I thought he was serious about us, that he actually wanted to make a go of this with me, but him not telling me about Paris makes me wonder if I’ve got it allwrong.
By the time I walk back through our front door, it’s well past midnight and I’m way past being drunk. I stumble my way down to my bedroom and fall onto mybed.
* * *
When I wakeup the next morning for work, my head is pounding and the room is still spinning. After discovering an empty flat, I down a couple of mugs full of strong black coffee and head off in the direction of today’sshoot.
It doesn’t take long for everyone around me to realise I’m in a stinking mood. Thankfully, they keep the coffee orders to a minimum and keep well out of myway.
When I get home, the only thing I find is a note on the kitchenworktop.
Matt wants to know when you’re available to hookup.
“FUCK!” I shout into the empty room. I launch my phone and watch as it smashes against the wall before hitting the floor a broken mess. I’d had a few calls from an unknown number but I hadn’t thought anything of it. If I’d have known it was Matt, I would have answered and told him I wasn’t interested. Instead, he’s turned up here looking for a quick shag. I know Caleb’s spent almost every second of the past few days overanalysing everything to confirm his suspicion that I don’t want a relationship with him, but that isn’t the case. To begin with, that was all I wanted, but things have changed a lot in the last couple of years. Living with him as well as watching Lilly and Lucas’ relationship develop has left me thinking that maybe having a boyfriend might not be so bad, and yet he’s trying everything to prove that isn’ttrue.
When I retrieve my phone, I’m amazed to see that although the screen is smashed to fuck, the thing actually works. I unlock it before finding Caleb’s number and putting it to myear.
He doesn’t answer and I have no idea if that’s because he’s doing a shoot, he’s ignoring me, or he’s already fucked off toParis.
I’m sat eating a tasteless microwave meal when I hear a key pushed into the lock. Seconds later, I’m looking at a soaking wet Caleb. His hair is sodden and stuck to his forehead and his white t-shirt is soaked through, clinging to every inch of his body. He stands stock still in the doorway, looking at me. His blue eyes darken and narrow; the longer he stares, the more pissed off helooks.
“Thought you would have been making the most of having the flat to yourself,” he snarls. “Or has Matt alreadyleft?”
“Fuck off, Caleb. You don’t get to be pissed at me. When the fuck were you going to tell me aboutParis?”
“It’s none of your fuckingbusiness.”
“It’s none of my fucking business that my boyfriend is fucking off to Paris without even telling me?” I watch as Caleb’s chin drops open at my use of the word boyfriend. “Yes, boyfriend, Caleb. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that is kind of what I thought was going onhere.”
“I stupidly thought the same until your booty call appeared at my frontdoor.”
“I didn’t fucking call him. He’s in the army, and if and when he’s local, he gets in contact. If I’d have know the number calling me was him I would have told him I wasn’tavailable.”
“Whatever.”
“Don’t fucking ‘whatever’ me. Why didn’t you tell me about Paris?” I stand up and move so I’m directly in front of him, looking down into his eyes. He’s not getting away with thisbullshit.
“Because I don’t haveto.”
“Fuck you,” I say quietly as I lift my hands and push against his shoulders. “You were the one who’s been going on about honesty; you’re the one with the trust issues, yet now I find out you’re the one who’s been doing thelying.”
“Not telling you isn’t lying, Taylor,” hesnaps.
“When were you going to tell me you were going,then?”
Caleb’s lips stay sealed, which fuels myanger.
“You’re going to need to fucking explain this to me because I’m not fuckingunderstanding.”
