A Tragic Heart (31 page)

I’m still in the ring taking a sip of water when Taylor climbs in with me. Riley and John leave, and I tell them I’ll see them again soon; I just don’t know how soon. Taylor touches my chest softly. I flinch a little since I’m beginning to feel the bruises.

“This game is dangerous,” she says softly, touching the bruises on my abdomen.

“So is life, but that doesn’t mean we should give it up,” I say, looking her in the eyes.

“Teach me,” she says.

“Teach you what? How to live or how to box?”

“Well, you already taught me one, now all that’s left is to teach me how to box,” she says, staring into my green eyes.

We spend the rest of the morning and the first hour of the afternoon at the boxing ring. She learns some new techniques and helps bruise my body even more. I don’t mind the bruises she gives; they’ll fade away with time.

We go back to our home and take a shower together, and then Taylor decides to take a nap and I decided to go out for some air.
I don’t expect to get what comes next
.

Peyton

I
stop at a gas station before going to the lake to clear my head. Sometimes I park my car by the boardwalk and write songs. Something about the view of the water and the sand relaxes me and opens my mind to new possibilities. I get out of the car and see Mason pull up to the pump next to me. He gets out of his car and sees me, but doesn’t speak. We haven’t spoken since Lauren had the miscarriage. He’s changed a lot. He looks older and he’s cut his hair into a buzz cut. I guess he felt the need for a change. I walk into the store after Mason. “Pump six,” I tell the clerk behind the counter.

“Wow, I didn’t expect to see you like this. Three and a half years can really make a big difference,” I hear a voice behind me say.

I know who it is but I don’t want to believe it. I’ve hoped for this day, but I’ve also hoped it would never come. My entire life flashes in my head. I’m angry, hurt, and vengeful all at the same time. I’ve waited for this day, I just wish it wasn’t at this time and place; but what can you do? Run away? I’m not going to run like she did. I’m not going to die running away from him. I’m going to face him,
win or lose
. Karson is going to be sorry that he ever said anything to me. I turn around and face him. He looks strong, but somehow I know that I’m stronger. I’m no longer a kid; I’ve grown up a lot. I’m a fighter and that’s what I plan to do if I’m pushed toward it.

“What the hell do you want?” I say with anger in my voice.

“No need for the hostility, Peyton. Anger gets us nowhere in life,” he says with an evil smirk on his face.

“You’re one to preach,” I respond, never losing eye contact with him.

“Let’s step outside, Peyton. We should catch up,” Karson says, touching my shoulder.

I shake him off and stared at him with a face full of resentment and anger.

“Don’t touch me!” I say, following him out of the store. “If you’re here to apologize, don’t waste your time. I don’t forgive murderers—especially the ones who kill my family,” I spit viciously.

“I didn’t kill anyone. You’re mother killed herself, as far as I’m concerned,” he says recklessly.

“Don’t you dare blame her for what you put us through. She died trying to get away from you. It’s your fault, and you know it!” I say, trying to stay calm but knowing that my tone gives me away.

“Still a kid, I see. Your mother was a smart woman, but she was also a loose woman. She never told you, but she was still seeing that father of yours every now and then. She never let you know because she didn’t want you to think any less of her, and your father wasn’t ready to be in your life at the time. I heard her talking one night on the phone and I lost it. She finally tried to get away, but fate caught up to her. And the next thing we both knew, she was gone. So basically Peyton, I’m not the bad guy here. I was just a little angry. Your mother was a slut and she got what was coming to her!”

He has to be lying
. My mother can’t have been what he’s calling her. I don’t even want to think of the word. Even if it’s true, she didn’t deserve to die because of it. What he did is much worse and caused more pain. He killed my mother, and that’s all I can think about. I can’t remain calm any longer; I ball up my fist and aim straight for his face. I didn’t miss, which is an accomplishment all on its own. He pauses and touches his mouth and sees blood on his hand.
That’s when it all begins
.

He throws a punch at me but misses. I guess old age is getting to him—either that or I’m just a better fighter than I was when I was thirteen. I give him a body blow next, and suddenly he grabs me and punches me in my stomach where I already have bruises. I’m in pain but I’m not going to let that stop me.
I have to go on
. I
throw another punch, aiming for his face, but I miss. That blow to the stomach really hurt me. He pins me to the wall of the store and punches me repeatedly in the face. I can’t go out like this; I have to fight back. I push him off of me and continue throwing punches. I get lucky and hit him in the face a few times. I’m all for head blows; those are the ones that really pay off in the end. I’m winning and part of me feels victorious.

I don’t see it coming. I feel a sharp pain in my side and I yell in pain. I look down to see a knife sticking out of the left side of my body.
He stabbed me; he cheated
. He’s a coward who knew he was losing, so he tries to out me by killing me. It’s not my time to go, so I continue to fight. I’m weak. Blood is seeping through my shirt, but I don’t care. I become so weak that I fall to the ground mid punch. Then I see Karson go down.

It’s Mason
. He must’ve been nearby, watching for a while.
He still cares
.

“Come on, get up!” I hear Mason demand to Karson.

He kicks Karson in the stomach and hits him over and over again. I try to get up to help but I can barely stand.

“Stay down, Peyton!” Mason yells at me.

I hear sirens and before I know it, the police and an ambulance are here. Both Mason and Karson are handcuffed and questioned. I’m taken into the ambulance and questioned there. I ask them to call Taylor, so she can meet me at the hospital. I hear the worry in her voice over the phone when the police officer calls her. I can’t stay awake for long. I must have lost a lot of blood because I finally black out.

Mason

T
he police questioned me at the gas station. They let me off the hook since I don’t have a record, and it was considered self-defense. I head straight to the hospital. It’s time to put all of the nonsense behind us. Sadly, it took this incident for me to see that. Peyton is family and not even denying him could ever change that. The truth is, I accepted him and Taylor a long time ago. I was just holding onto a grudge that was no longer there. I was being stubborn, but stubbornness didn’t hurt anyone but me. Peyton and Taylor are still in love and have moved on with their lives while I was bitter and suffering. I came to that realization a while ago, I just never admitted it. Now is the time to do so. I’m going to apologize to Peyton and I’m going to ask if it’s okay if we pick up where we left off.

I reach the hospital; it seems like we always end up here after an altercation. I ask for Peyton’s room number and head straight to the fifth floor. As I’m about to walk into his room, police officers come out. That means he’s well enough to speak. I walk in to see him staring up at the ceiling. He looks at me and smiles; he knows this means I’m back on his side. He’s just waiting for me to say it.

“Thanks, Mason.”

“Don’t thank me. It’s my job. You’re family, and I had to,” I say, standing next to his bed.

I’m not used to seeing Peyton as the victim. He has always been the fighter, the hero. But somehow I didn’t think any less of him.

“You didn’t have to. You chose to,” he tells me gratefully.

“I’m sorry, Peyton. I know it may be too late to say it now, but I’m sorry. I just want us to pick up where we left off. You’re my cousin and nothing will ever change that. It’s time for me to be a man about it and get over it. I have been over it for a while, but it’s time that I stop being stubborn and confess it,” I say, pouring my heart out.

“It’s never too late, Mason. Even if I was dead, it still wouldn’t be too late. You’re my best friend and always will be, and I would love to just act like this entire thing never happened. I want to go back to the way it was. I’ve been feeling like this since day one of this whole tragic breakup.”

Peyton and I are finally making a breakthrough. I laugh at how this is beginning to sound.

“What’s so funny?” Peyton asks.

“We sound like lovers,” I say, laughing.

Peyton begins laughing with me but has to stop because it’s too painful to laugh. We both hear footsteps and turn to the door. It’s Taylor. Worry is written all over her face. She walks in and tries her best to smile at me. I return the gesture and tell Peyton that I’ll be back. I’ll give them some alone time. I see Taylor climb into bed with him and at that moment I see why they were made for each other. They’re two great people who deserve each other’s presence. And as for me, I’ll find my princess someday. It just isn’t Taylor, and I accept that.

Taylor

“P
eyton what were you thinking?” I ask with tears in my eyes.

“Hey, no crying. I’m fine…I’m okay,” he says, trying to convince me that he isn’t as badly hurt as he looks.

I can’t hold it in so I cry on his chest. It was too much to deal with. Thank God Mason was there to help him.

“I thought I was going to lose you,” I cry softly, holding onto him.

“Well, you didn’t. I’m still here,” he says as he kisses my forehead.

I’ll never be able to understand the strength that Peyton conveys. He’s stronger than most adults and yet he’s only a seventeen-year-old boy.
His strength is God-given, which makes it twice as significant
.

“I should be out of here just in time for our trip to Australia,” Peyton informs me, stroking my hair.

“We don’t have to go. You should just cancel. We can stay here until you get better,” I say softly.

“No, I want to go. It’ll be good for me to get away from here…It’ll be good for us.” He sounds as if he’s really looking forward to going.

“Can Mason come?” I ask, feeling as if we owe Mason something more than a thank you.

“Sure, if he wants to come. It’ll be fun—you, me, and Mason. It’ll be the way it should be,” Peyton says lightly.

I can tell his mind is drifting off to a faraway place.

“What are you thinking about?” I ask, wiping my tears.

“I need to speak with my dad. Karson told me some things that really got to me, and I want to know if they’re true or not,” he shares.

“Like what?”

“He called my mother a slut and said that she was seeing my dad without me knowing. She supposedly was cheating on Karson with him, but since my dad wasn’t ready to be in my life, she kept it from me. I hope it’s not true,” Peyton says, clearly bothered by Karson’s words.

“You shouldn’t worry until you hear it from your dad. You should call him now; he deserves to know you’re here and what happened today.”

“You’re right,” he says, reaching over slowly to pick up the hospital phone.

“I’ll be back. I’ll give you some time to talk to your dad,” I say, kissing him on the cheek and getting up.

I see Mason down the hall and walk up to him. I touch his arm, and he turns around. He looks even more handsome than usual. It’s clear that he’s becoming a man; it shows physically. I look into the eyes of the boy I once loved who is now a man in more ways than one. I hug him tightly and close my eyes. He’s strong and his body is warm. “Thank you,” I whisper.

“No problem.”

There’s a long silence, but I am still holding onto him.

“Taylor, I’m sorry about the way I acted. I’m sorry for everything.” His apology is full of sincerity. Mason really did grow up; maybe separation for a few months was all we needed.

“It’s okay, Mason. It’s all forgotten. Everything is old and forgotten.”

I finally let go of him, and we both sit down and talk as if we never went our separate ways.

“Are you free for the next two weeks?” I ask Mason.

“Yeah, why do you ask?”

“I was talking to Peyton. He and I are going to Australia in a few days for two weeks, and we both would like it if you came with us.”

“I don’t know, Taylor, the trip was meant for you two. Maybe you should go without me. I wouldn’t want to interrupt anything with you guys,” Mason says, skeptical about the idea.

“No, we’d love for you to come. It’ll be the way it should’ve been for the past few months. We’ll just be making up for lost time,” I say, trying to persuade him to come with us.

I know it’s impossible to retrieve lost time, but it sounds like a good thing to say.

“Fine, I’ll come. When are you leaving?”

“In three days. Peyton should be out of here in a day or two. His injuries aren’t too bad,” I answer.

“So I guess it looks like I need to start packing tonight,” he says, smiling.

“Yeah, I guess so,” I reply.

Mason and I spend the next hour talking, laughing, and catching up on what we lost. It feels great to have my friend back. But most of all, it feels great to know that Peyton has his friend and family back. I never lost hope that Mason would come around.
Faith proved itself this time around
.

Peyton

M
y dad walks into the room. He pulls a chair next to my bedside and sits down. His face is plastered with anger; he wants to kill Karson, and I’m afraid that he might just find a way to do it. I didn’t tell him why I needed to speak with him, but I didn’t need to once he found out what happened with Karson. He hung up the phone and was on his way before I could even get another word out.

I look like him—my dad. At first glance, people may think I look like my mom, but I have my dad’s features. The only thing I have of my mother’s is her red hair.

“How are you feeling?” my father asks with a voice full of anger.

He frightens me. And I’m not one who is easily frightened.