Swept Away: The First Bloodline (11 page)

    
“No and yes.  You’ve been lonely.  The kind of lonely that Zach, Ashley and I can’t fill.  You need someone.”

    
Stop it Liz.  I don’t want to talk about Chase.  Don’t go there.

    
She could feel her buzz slowly leaving her body and mind.  “Well, no promises.  I like him but let’s just say these circumstances are quite different than others.”

    
“Ok, so you said you would tell me.  Start talking.”

    
“I don’t even know where to begin Liz.  When I am with him I feel like me again.  I know, I know.  I just met him, blah blah blah.  It confuses the shit out of me to, but oh my God he is such a good kisser, he smells so good, his hands.  Oh Liz he has amazing hands.  You wouldn’t believe the abilities that he has.  He is very well proportioned and knows how to use everything the good lord gifted him with.  How’s that?” 

    
Liz stared at Taylor.  Finally she was seeing her sister again after all these years.  She didn’t want Taylor’s obvious high to go away so she decided to go with that excitement rather than her own.  “Holy shit.  Ok so like E. L. James erotic romance good or Linda Lael Miller sexy as hell romantic good?”

    
“I think he is going to be a little of both.” Taylor giggled at that.

    
“Bitch.  I knew I should have taken him from you when I had the chance to.”

    
“Not even.  This one is all mine.  Don’t even try it.  Trust me, he ain’t going for it.” 
That’s right.  He’s into me and only me. 
Her beaming just got even bigger.

    
“Ok.  I’ll not attempt it especially beings you’re so smitten with him.  Ok, so I wouldn’t anyways but that is beside the point.  Just really try with him ok.”  Liz didn’t mean to sound more desperate than Taylor, but the fact was she was tired of seeing her sister die a slow death.  Yes physically she was healthy, but mentally she was dying.

    
“I will.  Now if you don’t mind I have two wonderful kids to hug and kiss.  I missed them.”  Taylor walked past Liz down the hall and entered into Ashley’s room first.  There was her beautiful little angel sitter at her table singing ‘You Are My Sunshine’ as she colored in her Dora coloring book.

    
“Sissy.”  Taylor whispered.

    
“Mommy!”  She ran into Taylors arms.  “I missed you so much.  Why do you have to work?  I don’t like it when you work.  I miss you sooooo much.”  Taylor’s heart caught at her words.

    
“I’m sorry Sissy.  I missed you so much to.  Guess what, later we are going to go out for dinner and a movie with my new friend.  Would you like that?”

    
“What movie can we see?  Can we see Ice Age?  I have been so excited to see it please.”

    
How could Taylor deny her something as awesome as Ice Age.  She laughed.  “Where’s Bubby at?  Let’s go find him.”

    
“He’s in his room.”  Ashley’s face dropped the minute she answered her Mother.

    
“What’s wrong baby?”  Taylor watched as her little girl struggled for the words.

    
“He’s sad.  He said that Daddy went away and now you are to.”  Taylor’s heart broke.  Tears flooded her eyes as she fought them back. 

    
“I’m not going anywhere.  Why would he think that?”

    
“I don’t know.”  Her eyes were so sad.

    
“Let’s go find him.” Taylor held Ashley’s brittle fingers as she walked down the hall.  As she reached the closed door she reached down picking up Ashley, giving her a big squeeze before setting her back down.  Zach was laying on the bed flipping through the channels on his TV.  He never flipped through them and Taylor could see his little brain concentrating on something difficult for him.

    
Trying to make light of the situation she ran up and jumped on the bed.  “Hey Buddy!”

    
“Hey.”  His voice sounded so down, depressed even.

    
“Come on little man, what’s wrong?” 
Please tell me what’s wrong.  I can’t bear you feeling like this.  The feeling that I see in your eyes I know too well.  Please tell me.
  For the first time ever she was begging her child to open up to her.

    
“I thought you had left me.  Just like Daddy did.”  The minute he spoke his troubles, tears filled his eyes. 
Oh dear God, what have I done. 

    
“Baby, Daddy didn’t leave you.  Honey, Daddy would be with us if he could.  You have to know that.”

    
“Daddy doesn’t even know he is a Daddy.”

    
“Yes he does.  He watches us from heaven every day.  He sees what a great young man you are growing into.  He watches as you play with Sissy and protect her.    And I bet he is jealous cuz you get all our lovin’s.” Again she tried to get a smile out of him but was unsuccessful at it.

    
His head rested against her chest.  She peaked over and she could still see the tears waiting to fall form his precious eyes.  She never knew it bothered him not having Chase around.  She had tried to keep Chase as much in their lives as she could possibly, but it was quite obvious she hadn’t done that.  Lord knew she would do anything, anything at all, to make his pain go away.

Damien!
 
Damien, I know you can hear me.  I need your help.  You know my heart breaks right now and why?  Help me please.  Take his pain away.  Do this for me.  Do this for him.  Do this for yourself.  Just do it.

             
Taylor heard a knock on the door. “Hang on little man, be right back.”

             
“No, Aunt Lizzy can get it, please.”  He cried out.  So Taylor kept her arms wrapped tightly around him.  Holding him.  Loving him.  She could no longer hide her own tears that burned their way out of her eyes.  Then Liz was at the door.

             
“Hey Zach, we have a visitor.  You wanna come say hello.”

             
“No.”  He tightened his grip on her, curling his little fingers into her shirt.  She shook her head at Liz and closed her eyes. 
Damien please help us.  I can’t take this anymore.  I don’t want him to hurt anymore.  How could I have missed this?  This is all my fault.  I should have been home with my kids instead of out.  I knew it was a bad idea.  Damn it!  How many lives am I going to keep fucking up?

             
“Tay it’s Damien.” 
What?
 
How could he have gotten here so fast?  Oh yeah.  But did he really run that fast?  Can he fly?
Taylor had to shake the thoughts going rapidly through her mind.

             
“Come Zach.  You, Sissy, and I are going out tonight with a new friend.  I want you to meet him.  We are going to see a movie, and go out to eat.  Don’t that sound good?”

             
“You mean we get to go on a date with you?”

             
“A date? Who told you I went on a date?”

             
“Um, I don’t think I was supposed to tell.”  He laughed and looked at Liz giving her an apologetic smile.

             
Taylor found herself smiling to, because his tears had stopped but she knew the pain was still there.  She stood holding his hand.  Ashley raced into the living room and they could hear her laugh and giggle.  She looked down at Zach. “See, Sissy seems to be having a good time without us.  We better go find out what’s so funny hey?”  He nodded tearing his hand from hers racing down the hall.

             
Taylor followed close behind.  Damien was standing there with Ashley in his arms.  Her heart pulled but quickly faded away.  He sat Ashley down, to kneel down in front of Zach and held his hand out to him.

             
“I’ve heard a lot about you.  You must be Zach.”  Damien smiled that sweet, mouth watering, smile at him.

             
Zach smiled big and stuck out his hand to shake Damien’s.  “You must be our date.”  He replied and they all broke out in laughter. 

             
“Well, I guess I am.  Is that ok with you?  You are the man of the house and I wouldn’t want to upset you, you know.”  Taylor watched, stunned at how just like that, Zach’s tears had dried being replaced by his smile.

             
“I guess that would be ok.  On one condition.”  Zach’s voice changed to a serious tone.

             
“Oh, ok.”  Damien straightened, good-naturedly, as if he were entertaining Zach.

             
“What movie did you have in mind?”  Zach was interrogating his taste in movies.  She had seen him do it to many times. 
Ice Age
!  Taylor spoke out silently knowing he heard her.

             
The slight little grin touching Damien’s lips was a blessing.  “I was thinking Ice Age 4.  I have been dying to see that movie.  I hope that is ok with you?”  Taylor almost busted out laughing at Damien’s choice of words.

             
Zach turned smiling at Taylor.  “He’s a keeper Mom.”  He turned back to Damien.  “I have to get ready you know.  Aunt Liz says I always have to look my best when I go out.  That way I can get all the hotties you know.”  He laughed as he raced off down the hall. 

             
Taylor turned to Liz.   “Hotties huh?  He’s six.  Not twenty six.  What have you been teaching my son?”

             
“Hey, what did you expect?  He’s gonna be a heartbreaker.  And you can’t expect him to wait until he’s twenty six.  Look at those blues Tay.  I’m warning you now, that kid is gonna be a thief of hearts.”  She smiled.  “Anyways, I am assuming this date is going to start now, beings that you are here now.”  She turned to Damien.

             
“If Taylor is ok with it, so am I.”  He glanced in Taylor’s direction then back to Liz.  “And that would be a yes.” 

             
“Taylor?”  Liz looked at her.  She could only respond by smiling trying to keep from jumping up and down even though her insides were.

             
“So Miss Ashley, do you need to do anything special before we head out?”

             
“Nope, Aunt Liz says I’m toooo gorgeous.  I don’t have to worry about anything.”  They couldn’t help but chuckle to her response. 
The things my sister has been teaching them, not just my son,
Taylor thought as she turned her attention back to Liz.

             
“What do you have planned for today?”

             
“Nothing much, thought I would catch up on some reading.  You know the one.”  She teased. 
Oh shit!
  Immediately Taylor felt it. 
Damn her, why did she have to do that?

             
“If I may.  I do believe you had a request.  Be ready around 7.  You have someone coming to pick you up?”  Damien explained.

“Oh, wow
!  That was fast.  I guess I have a date as well.  Maybe I won’t need that book either.”  Winking at Taylor as her mouth curved into a smile.  Liz hadn’t looked this excited in a long time.  Her face was even flushed.

             
“Oh boy, it’s gonna take a quadrillion hours to get ready.  She has wrinkles.”

             
“Ashley Paige!”  Liz called out holding back her laughter, Damien and Taylor chose to let theirs out.  “The things kids say.  I better get started.  See ya.”  She waved to them as she took off, nodding back at Damien as if answering a question.

             
“Ready!”  Zach called out.

             
“Wow, slow down guys.  Give me just a second ok?”  She turned to walk toward her room in need of her toothbrush and paste.

             
“Women.”  Zach said causing Taylor to stop in her tracks.  She turned only to see Damien, Zach and Ashley talking and laughing.  She had never seen another man interact with them the way he was right now. 
Can I trust him with them?
  Just as soon as the thought came to her mind she froze. 
Shit!
  Damien slowly raised his head and looked over at Liz.

             
Coldly he stared at her.  This Damien frightened her.  “Brush your teeth Taylor.  You don’t mean that thought.”  And he turned his attention back to the twins. 

Your right I didn’t.  I am so sorry.
  She stood there for a moment watching as his face softened.  She knew that she had just hurt him.

     
Taylor couldn’t control her brain.  After all, she was leaving her kids in the hands of a vampire while she left the room.  A vampire that she had only just met.  Were they safe?  She thought it was a reasonable question.

She finished brushing, slipped off her boots, threw on her nikes and returned.  She didn’t see them.  She walked to the bedrooms looking, thinking maybe they had taken Damien to one of the rooms to show him.  They weren’t there either.