A Love Like War

TAYLOR

He laughed, “I’m sure.”
“Where are my babies?” Jack shouted as he entered the house.
“My room!” I reciprocated.
“Sweet,” Alex said, “Our lover has returned.”
“Damn straight,” Jack said.
“What’s the damage, bro? What kind of loot did you get this month?” Alex asked giddy with anticipation.
Jack held up a game case, outlined in green. “I present to thee, Alex the First, high lord of the house, Gaskarth, Diablo III, Sexbox 360,” he bowed.
“Sick,” Alex pilfered the case from Jack’s grasp.
“Yeah, it faired pretty well with us over in testing.” Jack commented.
“I’m so stoked that you work for Blizzard, man. You don’t even know,” Alex declared. Jack’s ever present smile faultered. “Online or off?”
“Online, duh.” Jack said. He looked over at me, pulling my t-shirt over my head. “Did I interrupt something here?” He stiffened.
“No,” I affirmed. “Just getting ready before work. What time is it, anyway?”
“Uhm, 3:45,” Jack said glancing down at his watch.
“Christ, I have five minutes to get out of this house and make a fifteen minute drive. I hope Brendon doesn’t fire me.”
“Calm yourself, woman. He’s not gonna fire you,” Alex said.
“Yeah,” agreed Jack, “You’re the best artist he’s got.”
I smiled, thanked them and kissed them goodbye. I gathered up my purse and tossed on my belt. “I’ll be back around midnight. The take out numbers are posted on the fridge, bye boys,” I said walking out of the room, towards the door.
“Tay,” Alex called to me.
“Yeah?” I asked, turning around. He ran smack into me and pressed his lips to mine. Soft and intimate.
“I love you, Taylor Kathleen,” he replied pulling away, his eyes confirming his statement.
“Wow,” was all I could say before he pushed me out the door.


It had been a pretty dead day, Brendon and May told me. May, Jack’s sister had been the only reason I go this job. She’d put in a good word for me with Brendon and practically begged him to give me a chance.
I was sitting in my sanctuary going over a drawing for a back piece of a pinup mage girl for a client that had come in and specifically requested that I do it for him.
I smiled, remembering what the boys had said earlier about my skill. With attending the Texas Showdown Festival every year as a registered artist (Even before I had this job), I was starting to get noticed. I sighed, penciling in the lines to shape her face.
This relationship was a lot better than I expected. I thought Jack would be spending all of his time with Alex. That we’d never have time together anymore. Instead Jack made a point to have his time with Alex while I was at work and spend the night with me and when Jack had to work at the office, Alex and I had our time.
And damn, did I love it. Alex introduced me to the half of me that I was missing. Jack was my good old and sturdy and Alex was the explosion. Alex would be the outlet I needed to get the bad girl out of my system, let me get out all the shit that Jack wouldn’t allow me to speak of.
Alex was the spark I was missing with Jack. The intimacy. Maybe now, things would get better between Jack and I being that Alex was in the picture.
“Taylor,” May’s voice called out from the main room.
“Yeah?” I yelled back, still focused on the drawing.
“Your client called, the one for the uh, mage back thing,” she said as she sauntered into my sanctuary. “He said he’d be here in thirty minutes. Think you’ll have it done?”
I held up the drawing, “What do you think? I still have to work on the blue electrode fireball some more, but that’s about it.”
“It looks good. Mind if I sit down?” she asked pulling her long black curls from beneath the neck of her green and gold renaissance gown.
“Go ahead,” I smiled. “It’d be nice to have some company.
“So,” She started, smoothing out the seams of her velveteen dress, “How’s Jack been? Has he ‘found’ himself yet?” She put up airquotes.
I laughed, starting up the detail in the large blue orb, “Kind of, this whole trifecta of a relationship has really actually helped out.”
May was the only person I’d confided in about Jack, Alex and I. She was never one to judge and I was always tight lipped.
“Well, I’m glad it’s working out. I can’t believe he didn’t try to make it happen earlier you know? I could almost always see it in Jack’s eyes. The way that he looked at Alex, with such loving conviction. You knew he liked him,” May smiled.
“Yeah,” I kind of frowned. Maybe I just never caught it, but I don’t think Jack’s ever looked at me that way.
“But anyway, I was the one who booked him for you. He’s cute, girl, you’re gonna have fun with this one.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Your client. Tall, gorgeous, looks like he spends a lot of time at the gym. Man, he could work me out anytime of day.”
I laughed, “May, you’re insane. You said that about Brendon when you got me this job.”
May made a face and then bit down on her pointer finger, “Ooh, that’s right, I hope this one’s not gay, too.”
The bell to the shop door clanged against the metal push bar.
“Oh shit,” May jumped to her feet.
“Hey!” She started, walking out, “That wasn’t thirty minutes you fibber!” She scolded, “Taylor!”
“Coming, hold on,” I replied as I put the finishing touches on the master piece that laid before me. “Alright,” I said ascending from the office, “Let’s get this… no.”
Maybe it was those broad shoulders, those dark mysterious eyes, the way he always wore that same mischievous grin or perhaps it had been that incredibly soft, texturized, Mahogany hair that made me fall for Stryder Weiss. Or maybe, just maybe it was the fact that his parents decided to name him after the most badass character in the lord of the rings.
“Taylor Kathleen,” Stryder grinned when he looked up. “My, My, you’ve grown up.”
“You’re the one who wanted the pinup mage? Seriously?”
“Well, hello to you, too. You know,” he said moving a lot closer to me, “You’re a lot sexier since our last… encounter.”
“Stryder, we talked about this.. THAT never happened,” I crossed my arms.
“Oh, but it did sugar,” his deep country accent digging into my skin.
“It did and we both know it did. You remember it don’t you? I know I do, how you felt, how you sounder, how you taste.”
“Mr. Weiss, you’re here for a tattoo. Not to harass me. This is inappropriate.”
“I’m always inappropriate, baby,” that familiar smile crept back up.
I pulled him into the sanctuary and closed the door, “God damnit, Stryder. Jack’s sister is right there.”
“You’re still with that guy?”
“Yes! And he’s not just THAT guy. He’s my boyfriend, he has been for three years, now,” I said firmly.
“Hey now, lil’ lady, that didn’t stop you from rocking my world a couple of months ago did it?”
“Listen to me, I screwed up ONCE. I don’t ever need Jack to find out about that. Ever,” I hissed.
“Yeah? What about the three times before that?”
“Shut up, Stryder. Either sit down in the chair and get your ink or get out.”
“No need to be so harsh, Taylor Kathleen,” Stryder raised his hands in a surrender and pulled of his shirt.
“Wanna see the drawing?” I asked disgruntled.
“No,” he plopped down in the black leather, “I trust you.”
I sighed, popping the cap off the black ink and dropping a little into the receptical.
I met Stryder at the Rodeo when I was fourteen. He was seventeen and the greatest bull rider I’d seen. Now, I only have two or three vices and that’s poppy mainstream music and cowboys. The third would be that undeniably sexy thick country drawl. I may look like an intimidating goth chick, but truth be told, I’m a sweet southern girl at heart.
I’d seen Stryder after the concert and he was very charming. We’d went to grab a slice of pizza and we talked and well, we started dating. We also decided that since I was a week away from fifteen and he’d just turned seventeen, that it would be within law to fool around as well.
Stryder was the first real boyfriend I’d had. My first love. Sure, it only lasted a couple of months, but I loved him and he loved me. Then when I met Jack, nothing else mattered. How was I to tell Stryder that we’d only had sex because Jack and I had broken up was only using him to bring me back to reality? Using him for the raunchy, sometimes degrading rehabilitating sex I loved so much? Just to keep me sane for a while. He thought there was more to it, so I let him from fear that he might tell Jack about it. When I knew he was being used. I didn’t need Jack to know about it all.
I breathed in as I pressed the lining needle to his back.
“Taylor,” Stryder spoke.
“What? Did I hurt you? I’m sorry,” I said apologetically.
“No. I hurt you..” He replied.
“Stry, We’ve already done this, let’s not do it again.”
“Taylor Kathleen, I’m so sorry,” he ignored my attempt to stop him, “I messed up so bad. I know I can never take It back. I miss you so much. I do, I’ve been missing you, I still love you.”
“well,” I went on about my work. “You should’ve thought of that when you were fucking Marissa White out in the stables.“
“I-“
“Especially when you know I was on my way to see you, to go horseback riding with you.”
“Taylor Kathleen, I-I- can explain,” he said, with his back still to me.
“You can explain?” I shouted. “You can explain to me the reason that little ‘ol Taylor Kathleen Jardine just suddenly didn’t matter anymore to you?”
“That is not true, god damnit,” he growled, jumping out of the leather chair beneath him.
“Oh yeah?” I asked, shutting off the tattoo gun. “Then what is true, Stryder? Cause if there’s a truth to be told you haven’t told it yet,” I crossed my arms.
“Damn you Taylor Kathleen,” Stryder hushed to a whisper. “You’ve gotta understand. My family, they just wouldn’t approve of you and me. You were three years younger than me. To them you were a child.
“But you slept with her, Stryder. You could have lied, said you were dating her, not me, but you slept with her.”
“I didn’t have to lie, Marissa was my girlfriend. I was cheating on her with you.”
“What?” I started tearing up.
“Taylor, I’m sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I just didn’t know what to do. I-“
“Get out,” I demanded.
“Taylor, come on.”
“Get the fuck out of my sanctuary asshat.” I opened the door and pushed Stryder out and closed it behind him.
“Taylor Kathleen,” he called through the glass pane. “Come on, let’s talk about this.”
I broke down piece by piece as I let my back fall against the cool cherry wood. I slid all the way down until my head his my knees and I cried.

Notes