Chapter Thirty-Two
Taylor
Helena drove me home from school a few days later. My mother was out and my father was travelling.
“Can we detour to see Dylan?” I said.
“You want to chance it?”
“I have to. I have to make this right.”
“You’re going to get into deeper trouble,” she told me.
“Probably.”
I needed to see Dylan. I’d only seen him in class, and we didn’t have time to talk. He wasn’t staying after school anymore, either. I wondered if he quit the mathletes. That would be a shame. He’d enjoyed that.
I wanted to kiss Dylan, but I wanted to talk to him more.
Helena parked by the trailer. I had to admit I was astonished when I saw it again. “Holy shit. He wasn’t kidding when he described this place.”
“Sad, really,” Helena said. “I’ll wait in the car.”
“Thanks.”
I didn’t know if he was home, so I knocked lightly on the front door that looked like it would fall off if I knocked any harder. Dylan couldn’t stay here. I had to make this right. I had to fix this. No human should have to live like this.
“Taylor. What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see you, Dylan.”
He glanced past me, waving at Helena. He opened the door further so I could go in. I kissed him. “You’re going to get into trouble, Taylor.”
“I know, but I needed to see you.”
I didn’t want to stop touching him. He had dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn’t been sleeping.
“I have to get ready for work.”
“Go ahead.”
“I need to change.”
“I’ve seen you naked,” I said – and wouldn’t mind seeing him again.
He frowned as he led me to the bedroom. Tiny was an understatement. I sat on the bed as he stripped down to his underwear then put on his uniform.
“My parents have agreed to let me study nursing. I’ve applied to a few schools.”
“Have you gotten anything back?”
“No, but I’m thinking it will be for a January enrollment.”
God, he was hot. Even in that stupid uniform. He pumped gas and had his name on the pocket. I knew my father had gotten him the job.
“That won’t be too bad.”
“No, it won’t. I just wish I’d figured this out sooner.”
“Right.”
“There’s still the prom,” I said.
He stopped to stare at me. “Has someone asked you?”
“No.”
I had hoped he would, but he might have changed his mind about me. I cleared my throat. “I think I can talk my dad into letting you take me.”
“Taylor, that’s wishful thinking.”
“I think he feels guilty about my mother kicking you out.”
Dylan shook his head. “He isn’t, Taylor. He’s right. We shouldn’t have been messing around.”
“They only know that we dated. They don’t know what else we did.”
Dylan looked at his watch. “Will Helena drive me to my job?”
“Of course.”
“Then you need to get home after that. Don’t get in trouble for me.”
I kissed him. He kissed back, and I wanted him to make love to me, but he had to get to work. “I miss you.”
“I miss you, too, Taylor, but this can’t be. Please don’t come around.”
I felt my eyes get wet. “You don’t care anymore.”
He pulled me into his arms. “Of course, I do. I don’t want you to get into trouble. Don’t make it worse. Just let me be.”
“But this isn’t fair, Dylan.”
“Life is not fair, sweetie. It isn’t. The sooner you learn that the better,” he said.
“I know, but you’ve been trying so hard and now you’re back here in the trailer. I worry about you here.”
He stroked my face. “Oh, Taylor. I’m fine. I can take care of myself.”
He kissed me, and I really didn’t want him to go to work. Helena beeped the horn. Dylan smiled. “We better go or we’ll both be late.”
I nodded, but I liked how I fit into his arms.”
He nudged me away. “Let’s go, Taylor.”
He climbed into the backseat. “Where am I taking you?” Helena asked.
I told her which gas station he worked for. She nodded. “I know it well.”
“Good because I can’t be late.”
She smiled. I turned in my seat to look at him.
“What?”
“I’m just glad to see you.”
“Taylor, we can’t keep doing this.”
“I know, but I’m going to look at you while I can. I’m going to figure this situation out.”
He reached up and squeezed my hand. “I think this is something that you can’t fix. I appreciate the effort, but you have to move on.”
“I refuse.”
He cocked his head. “You have no choice, honey. This is how life is, and you need to listen to your parents. I have to work to get money for food, and I won’t have a lot of time for you.”
“Are you breaking up with me?”
He took a deep breath. “It’s how it has to be, Taylor.”
I felt a lump form in my throat. “I’m not giving up on us, Dylan. We were meant to be together. I know it.”
He frowned. “I wish you would just let it go.”
“No, Dylan. I won’t.”
Helena dropped him off at the gas station. He kissed me through the window. My heart hurt as I watched him walk into the office.
“Help me, Helena. There has to be a solution.”
“Unless you can convince your parents that you are better off with Dylan than without, I don’t see this working. And, I don’t mean emotionally. I mean, like, you’re safer with Dylan.”
“Hm.”
Her statement got some creative juices flowing. I didn’t have the answer yet, but I would. I was determined. My parents would see Dylan for the good kid he was. They would see what I see in him and he’d be back in our house.