Cindy
Today was quite tiring.
I sighed as my mind instantly wanted something. A glass of red wine would be nice.
I cleaned up my table and grabbed my bag and then walked out of my office. “Oh! Ms. Morgan!” Shirley – my co-worker called. “I almost forgot to hand this report to you. It’s about Nathan,” she informed.
“Oh, thank you, Shirley. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I took the report and after Shirley walked away, I opened the report.
Nathan, the boy who almost got himself killed by Blake. I smiled while reading his report. He was doing well in his new school. He even got new friends. I had to admit that my brother definitely had a good side. He even made sure Nathan was moved to the best school the city ever had so he could continue with his life. He didn’t even have to live with his toxic parents and moved in with his adopted family.
I was sure the wound in his heart was still in the healing process but he was doing good. I might be only working as a Nutritionist, but sometimes I would act as the mediator between the patient and the psychiatrist. I almost felt responsible for almost got Nathan killed by my brother.
I left the building and headed to my Santa Fe. I drove home and after fifteen minutes of driving, I smiled when I saw Taylor’s Porsche parked in the parking lot. I parked my car right next to his and jumped out.
I headed to my apartment and I saw Taylor was sitting on the couch while watching TV. He turned to me when he aware of my presence. “Hi, baby.” He stood up and went to me. Kissing me and he hugged me tightly.
I returned his hold as I immediately felt saved inside his strong hold. I knew what kind of man Taylor was. I knew he used to be Blake’s best friend until he ruined everything by impregnated Chloe and ran away. I used to hate him and unable to forgive him because Chloe was also my friend.
After many years of losing contact with him, Taylor reappeared and he…changed. Blake never saw him again so he had no idea what happened to Taylor and that’s why he still hated him.
I hoped by letting him know the real story, Blake would finally forgive Taylor. Although it needed some process.
Taylor slowly let me go and he kissed my forehead. “What’s wrong?” he asked and I shook my head.
“It’s nothing.”
“I see. Here, I bought you some Indian food for dinner. I’m sure you haven’t eaten at all,” he joked and he escorted me to the couch by holding my hand.
We ate the dinner where my mind was stuck on Blake’s last phone call. I still insisted that he told Olivia about Taylor. Well, he already did and Olivia…she cried. No one couldn’t help it though but I…wanted him to give up his adoption on her. Am I too meddling on his business?
I did everything for him. Why Blake couldn’t see that? Was he too blinded by what Taylor did in the past? It was in the past already.
“Cindy?” Taylor called out and I looked at him. He was looking at me and then he sighed and grabbed my dinner and put ours on top of the table. Was he talking to me?
He moved closer and rubbed my hair. We continued looking at each other. I liked this moment between us.
I had fallen in love with him ever since Blake brought him home with Chloe when they were still in college. I knew Taylor was the bad boy type but I couldn’t help to fall for him. Like people said, opposites attract.
“You know, we’ve been knowing each other for quite a few years no and whenever you were looking at something, probably nothing, you are hiding something,” he stated.
I closed my eyes and smiled a bit. I sighed and looked away. “I called Blake a few days ago after you told me that you met Olivia. I wanted to know if Blake had finally told her and he did.” Taylor was only looking at me without any question, so I told him, “she cried.” And I could see some spark of emotion from his brown eyes. “Blake said maybe because Olivia has finally realized that you don’t want her at all especially when you didn’t even do anything when you found out Olivia is your daughter.”
This time, he looked down like he was ashamed of what he had done. “I did that on purpose. It’s best if Blake didn’t tell her but he did in the end.”
“It was my idea as well to let her know. She deserved to know and you know that.” He pulled himself away and rested his back on the couch.
“If I could change the past, I would fucking do it.”
“Well, you can’t, obviously. And you have to live with it.”
“I know. When I met her for the first time, I had this feeling that she looked like Chloe. I thought maybe it was just a coincidence but the more I talked to her, my suspicion grew stronger and my gut was right. Olivia is my daughter.” His tone sounded in pain and he rubbed his face. I never saw this man looked so broken. He always looked strong like he had nothing to carry on his weight. But he had them all.
The guilt. The pain. The weight on his shoulder. Everything.
“Blake had the right to mad at me. I did that on purpose. I don’t want to show him that I regretted my decision and I have to play the bad guy.”
“You’re not supposed to do that. Even Blake will be willing to listen if you talk. He was acting like that because he cared deeply about Olivia. He promised Chloe to take care of her and that’s what he did for the past five years after Chloe passed away,” I explained.
“Those two were close before I entered their circle until I ruined everything,” he said and smirked.
“Stop saying that. You were still a kid back there.”
“But I was adult enough to take responsibility, not by running away like a fucking coward,” he countered. He was indeed taking this seriously and deeply.
“You were scared, Taylor. Especially with your family. You were still nineteen and you can’t do anything except listening to what your father said.”
Taylor’s family was the same as Chloe’s. They were so prestigious and would not let any scandal spread around the country, especially about them. When Chloe was pregnant, Taylor was scared and he lied to Chloe’s parents that it was Blake who made her pregnant. It was such a shitty thing he did because he caused trouble for my brother.
He told me all of this when we reunited and when I was still avoiding him like a plague. He told me after the incident, he went back to Seattle to avoid everything. When he learned Chloe had died, he immediately wanted to go back to Los Angeles and took Olivia with him. That’s the least thing he could do to atone for his mistake but…
His parents didn’t let him. They were indeed the puppet master in Taylor’s life. The guy was already thirty back there and he could do anything he wanted. Yet, his father threatened him that he would make Olivia’s life miserable if he dared to take her with him.
I reached out and rubbed his shoulder. “Baby, look at me,” I pleaded as he turned to me slowly. I could see the sadness in his eyes. The same brown eyes as Olivia. Well, I couldn’t exactly tell the difference since her parents had brown eyes.
“Please stop blaming yourself. People made mistakes and you have one now, you better fix it. You did it before with your family,” I stated and I chuckled lightly. “I never expect you get out of the house. Leaving all the money and wealth you already have and starting fresh again, even leaving your name behind.”
Taylor smiled a little. “That’s the only thing I can do so I can be free and do anything I want. I found my peace when I met you again,” he said. That was sweet of him.
I touched his cheek. “Did you do it for me or because you want to see Olivia?” My question shocked him. I leaned over to kiss him. “It’s okay if you’re thinking so. It’s normal for a father to want to see his daughter. That’s why I don’t understand why you don’t want to see her at least her picture.”
“I thought I didn’t need to. I thought a father should recognize their child immediately but now I have experienced it. Maybe since I never spend my time with Olivia, I have no idea when I met her back in Vegas.”
“But you still felt the familiarity when you were with her.”
“I still had my doubt and everything made sense when Blake appeared.” He smiled like he was proud of something. “She has grown beautifully just like her mother.”
“She is. She is smart as well. She did well in school.”
“I can’t be more proud.” I could see it. He wanted to start over with his daughter.
“Do you want her, Taylor?” I asked and he looked at me.
“You’re not serious.”
“I am.”
“Blake is not going to approve that. Remember my record, Cindy. It will be hard for me to gain custody.”
“Well, the only thing we can do is by asking Blake himself. To give up the adoption.”
Taylor’s mouth was slightly opened. Like he couldn’t believe I just said that. “You are crazy.” Maybe I was. I was doing it for him. I loved him but he would be happier if he had his daughter with him.
That was what Taylor wanted the most.
“You don’t need to lie to me, Taylor. I can see it.”
“But, how are you going to persuade your brother to give up the adoption?”
“Well, I think it’s going to be easy since I can see it as well. Clearly about my brother.”
“What about him?” I didn’t answer immediately. I turned my eyes away from him. Preparing myself to tell him.
I turned back to him. “I know how Blake feels to Olivia. It’s just a matter of time before he snapped.”
“You mean…that he’s in love with Olivia?” I didn’t reply. Maybe it sounded crazy but that’s what I felt when I saw him with his step-daughter.
“It will be far more dangerous if Olivia is with him. Society will not approve it and I wanted to save them.”
“Are you intended to play the cupid for your brother?” he smirked.
“Maybe I will. We never know if we never try, right? Maybe we should set up a meeting with each other, except Olivia.”
“I don’t know. That’s—”Before Taylor could continue, I could hear the ringtone from my phone. I grabbed my bag, pulling the phone out and it was from Blake. I looked at Taylor first before I picked it up.
“Blake?” But there was no response from him. “Um, Blake? Hello?”
“…Cindy.” And my heart sunk. His voice sounded in despair. This was not Blake at all. What happened to him?
“Blake, what’s going on?”
“I fucked up, Cindy. So fucking bad.”
“What happened?” My heart was pounding hard.
“I can’t do this anymore.” Oh, God. Did he just snap? “Are you with Taylor now?”
“Yes.”
“I want to talk to him.” His request shocked me. I turned to Taylor.
“He wants to speak to you,” I informed and he reached out his hand to me. He was ready as well. I handed the phone to him.
“Blake?”
I never heard Blake like that. He was always so full of confidence and never shown any weakness.
But that Blake…was like a different person. Although I couldn’t see him, I knew he was in pain. And what I could think of was…
Blake had touched Olivia.