Chapter 7:
Taylor awoke to the smell of fresh coffee and a slight headache gnawing at his temples. He opened his eyes, sat up, and was shocked to find that he wasn't in his hotel room. He looked around slowly, taking everything in. His eyes landed on a large bookshelf that he vaguely recognized, but only when he saw the discarded cups and beer cans strewn around the room did he fully remember where he was.
That had been one hell of a party. Taylor was relatively sober for most of it, but as the night was winding down he made the mistake of taking several back-to-back shots of vodka with Mason and Alexa. The shots must have been what did him in, because he didn't even recall what happened afterward. And he definitely didn't remember passing out shirtless on their spacious, black leather couch.
He plucked his shirt off the arm of the couch and threw it on, massaging the back of his sore neck to try to work the kinks out. As he was considering getting up to trace the delicious smell of coffee to its source, his phone vibrated in the back pocket of his jeans. Rolling his eyes, Taylor pulled his phone out and glanced at the screen, expecting to find another nagging text message from one of his siblings.
His heart jumped into his throat when he saw it was from Melanie.
I haven't been able to sleep since you disappeared. I know it probably has a lot to do with me, with how we left things…We're all so worried about you, Tay - your friends, especially your family. Our marriage might not have worked, but I will always care about you. Wherever you are, I hope you're safe and doing okay. Please come home soon. Love you. ~ Melanie
Taylor blinked, half-expecting to find tears behind his eyelids at his ex-wife's words. But they were surprisingly dry. He felt empty and hollow, yet what he'd lost made him ache; it was like learning how to live with a phantom limb. He hadn't yet mastered the art of dealing with the painful void that used to contain his heart.
He had no idea how long he sat there, staring silently into space, but when he finally snapped to reality he saw Alexa standing in front of him, looking down at him with curious eyes and a smile on her face.
"I thought you might need this, after last night." She handed him a large mug of coffee and he took it gratefully, inhaling the steam escaping its surface while his thoughts continued to tumble through his tired head.
"Thanks." He gave her a small smile and patted the spot beside him on the couch.
Alexa sat down and tucked her legs beneath her. She wore a fitted blue tank top and gray shorts, her hair still damp from the shower and hanging in tendrils that framed her face. Taylor caught a faint hint of coconut as she leaned forward to rest her mug on the coffee table.
"How're you feeling?" she asked.
He almost responded candidly and admitted that he wasn't sure how he felt after hearing from his ex. But he swallowed those words and said instead, "Okay. A little hungover, but I'll survive. Last night turned into a shitshow, didn't it?"
"Yeah, it did," she agreed. "We all wound up singing karaoke at the end, and if I remember correctly, you stole the show. You took your shirt off, brought the house down, and received a standing ovation. Well, at least from those of us that were still able to stand."
He laughed. "Oh God, I didn't."
At least that explained why he'd woken up half-clothed.
"You so did," she said, grinning. "And I'm pretty sure Mason has photographic evidence to prove it."
Taylor had to laugh. In a way, it was refreshing to hear that he was apparently the life of the party the night before. He was beginning to fear that since Melanie left him, all of the fun had been sucked out of him.
"Where's Mason?" he asked.
"Still in bed," Alexa said. "Multiply your hangover times twenty, and that's what she's dealing with right now."
"That bad, huh?"
She nodded. "Be happy that you passed out when you did. I spent most of the night in the bathroom with her, holding her hair back while she clutched the toilet for dear life."
Taylor looked at Alexa with sympathy in his eyes. He knew that Mason was drunk past her limits the night before, but he'd been in her shoes and he'd never wish that upon anyone. Alexa unfolded her legs and let them dangle in front of her. Taylor couldn't get over how small she was; her feet just barely grazed the carpet. He smiled inwardly when he noticed her coal-colored toenail polish that gave her just a little edge.
His phone, which was facedown on the coffee table, buzzed loudly and startled both of them. Taylor quickly grabbed it, shoving it back into his pocket. Melanie's message had been hard enough to read; he didn't think he could handle any more. Alexa raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing as they continued sipping their coffee in silence.
At that moment, Taylor's stomach growled loudly. He looked down, his cheeks burning red.
"I guess I should've brought you some breakfast with that coffee," Alexa said, biting back a laugh.
"I'm fine," Taylor insisted.
"It's okay - I'm pretty hungry, too," she admitted. "I should probably confess something, though. I'm a terrible cook. You wouldn't think that a nanny could get away having no cooking skills whatsoever, but that's me. Mason is the one who makes the meals around here. But I do know an amazing little deli around the corner that sells the best bagel sandwiches in the city."
She stood from the couch and stretched her limbs before asking, "Want to come with?"
* * * * * * * * *
After two more cups of coffee and an egg and cheese sandwich that lived up to Alexa's description, Taylor was full and content. He and Alexa had ordered their breakfast to go, picking up an extra sandwich for Mason for whenever she decided to finally wake up. He glanced at the clock in their kitchen and was surprised to find that it was already noon. Taylor wasn't accustomed to sticking around after parties to eat and chat with the hosts. He usually went straight home and collapsed into bed.
But he wasn't sure where home was anymore.
Taylor couldn't put his finger on exactly what drew him to Alexa, but he felt completely at ease around her, like he was allowed to let his guard down and really be himself. Just from the few conversations they'd had, he could tell she was a loyal friend. Whenever she talked about Mason, her eyes lit up as if they shared a special bond. Talking to Alexa made him feel normal again, instead of a crazy person running blindly away from his life because the weight of his wife leaving him was too much to bear. She seemed truly interested in his life, but didn't press him for too many details.
"Mason told me that you might be needing a new place to crash," she said casually as she gathered their plates and carried them to the sink.
"Only if it's okay with you," Taylor said after a slight pause, running a hand through his hair. "She offered to let me stay here, but I can definitely find--,"
"You should stay with us," she cut him off, turning around and giving him a smile. "It'll be nice to have a little testosterone around here for a change."
"Thank you. I owe you both big time for helping me out like this," Taylor said, letting out a silent sigh of relief. "I'll let you know when I plan on moving in. And don't worry - it won't be permanent. Feel free to kick me out at anytime."
"I'll keep that in mind," she said, a playful look in her eyes.
A comfortable silence fell between them as she turned back to the dishes.
* * * * * * * * *
An hour later, after helping clean their apartment and erase all traces of the party the night before, Taylor was on his way back to the hotel. He wanted nothing more than a long, hot shower and a nap. He reached the entrance and was about to step through the double doors, but the sight inside the lobby stopped him dead in his tracks.
His brothers, Isaac and Zac, were seated on the couch facing the reception desk. Ike was reading a newspaper and Zac was on his phone.
His heart pounding wildly inside his chest, Taylor knew that he needed to either walk through the door and face his brothers, or keep on running.
Making his choice, Taylor all but sprinted from the hotel. When he was several blocks away, he reached into his pocket for his cell phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found Mason's name. He took a deep breath and then he dialed. He was going to be taking Mason and Alexa up on their offer a lot sooner than they all expected.