I'm not sure why Taylor bothers me so much, but I do not want her here. The last thing I need is a woman watching my every move and questioning why I do things. I hope the storm won’t last as long as the news stated.

As I leave her alone in the room, I make my way to the fireplace in the living room and add more wood to it. While I'm exhausted, I find that I can't sleep. Taylor has me in knots, and I don't like it. Not one bit.

To lessen the stress, I decide to pour myself a drink. The choice for the night is whiskey, and not a small glass either. I make my way to the kitchen, turning off all the lights on my way. After I pour a tall one, I settle into my favorite leather chair in the living rooms. The only light comes from the fire. I stare into the flames, sipping my drink, trying to get Taylor off my mind, but it seems nearly impossible.

Her small frame is built well, and she's not just skin and bone. She’s perfectly proportionate with long dark hair that’s threaded with lighter strands. Her eyes capture me and make me a prisoner, every time I look at her. So I try to avoid all eye contact if I can help it. Her bright blue eyes have deep layers of dark blue.

I have to stop thinking about her.

I take a large swig of whiskey, finishing the glass. Deciding it isn’t enough, I stomp into the kitchen to grab the bottle out of the cabinet and refill my glass.

Screw it. Who needs a glass?

I return to my chair with the bottle. She'll make this storm unbearable, I know it.

Swig after swig, I drink until the whiskey is gone, staring at the fire. I don’t even notice the bottle slip from my hand as I doze off in the chair.

---

“Maddox! Maddox! Come and find me!" A giggle follows the challenge, and I smile with the excitement and fun of the chase. I sneak through the yard, breathing in the amazing aroma of the fall. The dead leaves on the ground make it hard to be quiet. When I think I'm in the right place, I quickly spin around a tree to catch her by surprise. She isn't there. I hear her giggle again. "Not there, love. I'm here. Come and find me!" I continue on the search, determined to find her. As I make my way towards the garage, I hear her giggle once again. Hide and seek was her favorite, no matter how juvenile the game seemed. And the truth was, I loved playing with her. There was no care in the world, and no one mattered besides the two of us. "Over here, Maddox!" I hear her whisper. I make my way around the garage to the back, knowing I will find her there. Just as I round the corner, I yell “Gotcha,” only to be presented with the back of the garage and dead leaves on the ground. Why can’t I find her? Suddenly, I start to panic. I no longer hear her giggles, and I know something is wrong. "Wendy! Wendy, this isn't funny anymore. Where are you?" I'm met only with the wind rustling the leaves on the ground and in the trees. "WENDY!"

I'm startled awake by a hand shaking my arm. “Maddox, wake up.”

Confused and upset from my dream, I bat the hand away and shoot to my feet. I look over and realize it's Taylor who woke me. “I told you not to wake me. What are you doing?”

“I-I’m sorry. You were yelling in your sleep. I thought it’d be best to wake you.”

I close my eyes and squeeze the bridge on my nose to fight off a headache that’s making its presence known. Damn whiskey.

After a few moments, I expect to be alone, but when I open my eyes, Taylor is still there with a look of concern on her face. I quickly take in her appearance and wish she had let me be. Her hair is on top of her head in a loose bun with tendrils falling here and there. My shirt on her small frame makes her look even smaller, but at the same time sexy. The curve of her chest is noticeable, along with her erect nipples straining against the fabric. Her legs are bare from the knees down and only making me wonder what I’d find if I were to lift the hem of the T-shirt.

Breaking my thoughts, she spoke once more. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, princess. Go back to bed.”

I watch as she shakes her head in annoyance and stalks back to her room. Her ass is perfectly noticeable with every step she takes away from me. Dammit Maddox, get your shit together! It’s not gonna happen. You’re just worked up from the dream. When Taylor shuts the door behind her, I look toward the hallway for a few moments. A part of me wants to storm into that room and hold her, tell how sorry I am for being a dick, while another part of me wants to go to bed and forget all these thoughts that are racing through my mind.

Treating people this way is a mechanism I use to protect myself. But I can tell she’s not buying it. That she wants to break me down. And she just might.