WHEN IT'S US AGAINST THE WIND
TAYLOR
It took Taylor twenty-four hours before he decided to call Mel.
He couldn't believe he even had to think about it first. It was like he had to stop and think about every move he made now. And while he felt better emotionally, sometimes acting on impulse seemed to be the more logical option. He should have been on a plane right that minute, on his way to have this conversation in person rather than making a phone call.
He sat there with the phone in his hand for what felt like an eternity before he ultimately chickened out and abandoned his mission to confront her about her pregnancy. He just couldn't do it over the phone. It wasn't an option.
Staying in Isaac's guest room was starting to get a little old and Tay had been frequenting his and Mel's house a little more often. The evening after the phone call from Jason, he had spent all night doing something his therapist may have disagreed with--he cleaned out one of the downstairs guest rooms. His next step after that would be to transfer his and Mel's bedroom from upstairs to downstairs, as well, but for now he worked on the guest room.
He knew it was forward and presumptuous to start rearranging the house to prepare for a baby. Nobody in their right mind would do such a thing in the situation he'd found himself in at the present moment. It was forward and presumptuous to even think that he would be bringing Mel back home here. It had been two months since he'd laid eyes on her and, even then, he'd barely heard her voice, either. She'd had so much time to think now and how stupid had he been to suggest she call Jason? For all he knew he could have lost her by now.
Except that he hadn't. Jason had called him--albeit angry as hell, with good reason--and told him she was pregnant. Told him she still loved him. As much as Tay wanted to hate Jason, it seemed that every time he turned around, all Jason ever seemed to give him was hope. It was no wonder Mel was so attached to him.
Once Tay had emptied the guest room, he sat in the middle of the carpeted floor and let his mind run wild. This would be the baby's nursery. Despite not having spoken to Mel, he couldn't wipe the grin off his face. They would be parents. Together. A crib on the opposite wall, a rocking chair by the window...he smiled as the visual formed in his mind: Mel in the chair, rocking gently with the baby on her shoulder. She would hum a lullaby until it fell asleep. Or he would. He wouldn't leave it all up to her. He wouldn't be an absentee father. No matter the decision Mel made on their relationship, he absolutely would not be an absentee father.
He knew it had been a bad idea to sit there and daydream all night, especially after waking up on the carpet in the middle of the empty room the next morning. He ached as a result of it, but it didn't matter. All day long, he couldn't get his mind off of Mel. And the baby. And by the time he'd chickened out with the phone call, he was hauling an overnight bag out of Isaac's front door.
"Tay..." Ike asked uneasily. "Where are you going?"
Tay backtracked back into the house. "Oh, hey, listen, you think you could drive me to the airport?"
"The airport..."
"I mean, I could drive myself, but I hate leaving my vehicle there."
"Where are you going?"
"I have to get her back, Ike. I have to. I've wasted enough time already."
"Have you talked to her?"
Tay's eyes darted around in shame.
"Tay. What would your therapist say about this?"
"I don't care what my therapist says!" And then, taking a moment to calm himself, he continued. "I mean, it's not her business. I have to save my relationship. Hell, I gotta know if I even still have a shot. You know? I have to do this."
Ike searched his brother's eyes for a moment before he nodded. "Okay. Okay, let's go."
------------------
As his bag hung from his shoulder, Taylor took a deep breath as he stood outside the door of their condo. Mel was just on the other side of that door. It was the closest he'd been to her in two months. For all he knew, she could have changed the locks. He didn't know. He knew coming in at the middle of the night was a creep move. He could only pray he would come out of this confrontation alive. But he had to do it. He had to take the chance.
Unlocking the door as quietly as he could, he was relieved to find his keys to be in working order. It was dark in the apartment and he closed the door behind him as quietly as he'd opened it. Turning around, he gently lay his overnight bag on the floor next to him when the sight he saw melted his heart and took his breath away.
Curled up on the sofa under the dim lamp light, Mel lay sleeping in a ball under a throw blanket. The sight nearly overwhelmed him when everything from heartbreak to guilt to sorrow to adoration and love all washed over him at the same time. He took a few quiet steps over to the sofa and gently sat himself against the arm of it, watching her sleep. He longed to touch her, but he couldn't bear to wake her. After a couple of moments, he gently lifted her from the couch, surprised that she didn't wake, and carried her to their bedroom. Tucking her into their bed, he kissed her forehead and watched her sleep for a moment more before he made his way back into the living room.
Taylor didn't sleep at all that night. He stretched out on the sofa where Mel had been, staring up at the ceiling, not knowing what to expect. Would she get up in the middle of the night? Would she get up early in the morning? Would she shift in her sleep and freak out when she discovered her sudden change of scenery? How would he greet her in the morning without scaring the shit out of her? Would the shock hurt the baby?
Dammit, why hadn't he thought these things through first?
He had finally dozed off when he heard a sound that made his eyes snap open into the morning sunlight that now flooded the room. After the master bathroom door shut, he shot off the couch and straightened his clothes and his hair. Why did he sleep in his clothes? What was he thinking?
Tay was going through his bag that he'd left by the door when Mel finally walked into the living room. She froze when her eyes landed on him and he slowly stood back up, not knowing where this was going to go. His heart practically beat out of his chest and his knees weakened at the confrontation.
As she stood before him, in a white t-shirt and loose-fitted pajama pants, Mel's voice caught in her throat before she could even speak as she took a couple of steps backward. "I didn't say you could come here."
"I know," he said, stepping a few steps toward her. "I had to see you."
"You could have called first."
He stepped closer to her. "There was no time." Reaching hesitantly for her waist, he asked her, "Can I--?"
"No," she said suddenly, backing away and covering her mouth with her hand as tears welled up in her eyes. "No. Please don't touch me. If you touch me, I'll fall. And I don't want to fall."
Taking a hit from her words, he shoved his hands in his pockets and sat himself on the arm of the sofa, looking at her as the sun in the sky shone in the window behind her. "I, uh, didn't realize you'd gotten back up."
"I've been trying so hard," she whispered.
His eyes followed her hand as it instinctively fell against her stomach and he looked back up in her eyes. "So it's true?"
Fear flashed in her eyes for a moment before they hardened. "Did Jason tell you? He's the only one who knows."
"Don't be mad at him," Tay said gently. "Why wouldn't you want to tell me?"
She was silent as she glanced around and fidgeted with her fingers. "I don't know. Why are you here? Because of the baby? How convenient."
"I can't live without you."
"Could have fooled me," she muttered.
Tay sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I fucked up. I fucked up bad. I need you, Mel. I'm--I'm asking you, please--don't give up on me."
"We're toxic," she responded. "All we do is cause each other pain. Who can live like that?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
Tears filled her eyes once again and her voice cracked as she looked away from him. "I shouldn't have left you."
"I deserved it."
"But then you--" she paused to cover her mouth to fight back the tears. "But then you told me you couldn't be there for me. You made me call Jason. It was like--like saying, 'Here, call someone who cares.' "
"Mel, no. It was never like that."
"I miss you so much."
"I miss you, too. Desperately. I just--I hope I'm not too late. Am I? Too late?"
She looked back at him in silence, sniffing away her tears.
"Please. I'm begging you for one more chance. Please. I'm not ready for this to be over. I love you."
And then she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, letting the tears flow freely. She held him tightly, her fist tightly gripping the his shirt behind his neck. Tears sprang to his own eyes as she sobbed on his shoulder. Her body shook with her weeping as she maintained the death grip around his neck. He held her tightly as she whispered through her tears, "I'm so scared, Tay. I'm scared to death."
"Shh," he whispered, stroking her hair. "It's okay, sweetheart. I'm here now, there's nothing to be afraid of."
"I don't know what I'm doing," she wept. "I've been horrible. I haven't been doing anything right." She pulled away from his shoulder and wiped her eyes as he still held her against him. He couldn't let her go. "I just--I've stressed myself out, I haven't eaten right. Hell, I didn't even know I was screwing up till Jason came over with fucking fruit and vitamins and--I've only been to the doctor once. And that was the visit when I found out and--what if I kill this baby, too? What if I've already done it?"
"First of all, calm down. You didn't kill any baby. Not then and not now," he said, reaching up to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "We just need to make an appointment. Okay? Simple as that, I'm sure everything is fine."
"I already did," she said, attempting to dry herself up. "It's next week."
"Okay," he nodded. "That's a step in the right direction. Um, do you want me to be there?"
Mel nodded. "I don't want to do it alone."
"You won't be alone, I promise." Then he reached into his pocket. "Um, I--uh, forgive me if I'm being forward. And--and if it's too soon, that's okay. I understand. But, um--" Nervously, he opened his fist to reveal her engagement ring in his palm. "Um, what--I mean, do you think--?"
Mel's eyes widened as she stared at her ring as he offered it to her.
"I don't know what to do," he continued. "I just--I mean, do I get down on one knee, or--or do I--?"
"What have we done?" she whispered. "How did we get here?"
Tay smiled nervously and ran a hand through his hair again. "Uh, I had a moment and you had enough."
"Except that I haven't had enough."
"My eyes have never been as open as they are right now. You have to believe me."
"There's no way we could be married by the 20th next month."
"It's okay."
Hesitantly, she took the ring from his hand and his heart pounded. He wasn't sure he could take the anticipation anymore. "If I put this on," she said to him. "It'll be the last time. I won't go through this again. I want us to be a family and I want you to be there for our child, but I will not go through this again. And neither will you."
"I promise, I will spend the rest of my life making this up to you."
With that, she slid her engagement ring back on her finger and he wasted no time taking her back in his arms and kissing her passionately. Kissing her took his breath. As he kissed her, he gave her his heart, his soul, and his entire life, completely surrendering himself to her.
His hand dropped to her stomach and she broke the kiss, catching his wrist with fear in her eyes. "Tay--"
He smiled at her. "We're having a baby."
Slowly, she returned his smiled and she nodded. "Yeah, I guess we are."
"We're gonna be so happy."
She bit her lip as she smiled. "You know what would make me happy?"
"Anything you want."
"If you took me to bed."
His grin widened. "Yeah?"
She nodded again. "Yeah."
Playfully, he swept her off her feet and scooped her up into his arms and she giggled as he carried her into their bedroom. There, Taylor spent hours making love to his fiancée.
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MEL
The turn of events over the past couple of days was enough to make Mel's head spin. At this point she still didn't know whether to be grateful to Jason or throw him to the wolves. She called him while Taylor was in the shower.
"So, um, Tay's here," she said to him.
"Oh, really? That was fast. Not quite as fast as I'd hoped, but fast."
"I should be furious with you right now."
"Except that you're not."
"Jason. After everything that--what you did for me was--it takes an extraordinary man to do what you did."
"I only want you to be happy. I don't expect any rewards or brownie points."
"I know. But I wanted you to know how important you are to me. You're my best friend. I can't--I can't go through life without you in it."
"That's not gonna happen."
"I mean, I know with how you--"
"I said it's not gonna happen. You're my best friend, too. And I can't go through life without you in it, either. Face it, kid, you're stuck with me."
"I worry about you."
"You worry too much."
"Please don't hate Tay."
Jason sighed into the phone. "I'm--you're asking me to--shit, Mel. I just--it'll take some time. I know what he means to you. I don't want to make your life complicated and I want to respect your relationship. I mean, I'm not in your business like that and I don't know all the inner workings of it and all that, but--to me, you come first. Way before him. And I'm going to protect you any way I can. So when he goes and pulls stunts like--it's just gonna take time for me to get over this one. Okay?"
"Okay," she agreed quietly.
"Look, I gotta go," he said. "I have one more meeting before I hop a plane out of here."
"Where are you off to now?"
"I think I'm gonna go home."
Mel smiled into the phone. "Really?"
"Yeah. Really. You were right, I need to spend more time at home. It'll be good for me."
"Send me lots of pictures."
"I'll flood your inbox."
"You better."
Mel felt better after her conversation with Jason. She felt better that he was heading home. And she felt better knowing that, once again, she hadn't scared him away. Maybe this entire experience was good for everyone all the way around. She didn't know. She did know how desperate she was for normalcy, however, and this was the first time in a long time she'd felt anything close to it.
Glancing up at the bathroom door, a small smile flashed across her face and she slid out of the bed and slipped her clothes back on. Gently, she opened the door. Standing in front of a foggy mirror in the steam- filled room, Tay stood at the sink in his underwear, preparing to shave, as she stood in the doorway holding the door open. "Tay?"
He turned around and smiled. "Hey, what's up?"
"Will you marry me?"
The question apparently caught him off guard for a moment and confusion briefly crossed his face. Then he reached out and hooked his arm around her waist, jerking her into the bathroom. "God, yes," he smiled as he covered her mouth with his.
Pulling away from him, she hopped up onto the counter beside him and let her legs hang off the side. Counting on her fingers, she said, "Let's see, that's...three marriage proposals so far. Third time's the charm, right?"
He raised an eyebrow as he opened the case to his razor. "First time was the charm, if you ask me."
"Sorry I couldn't do it with a ring," she shrugged.
"It's at home," he said, simply.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "How do you know?"
He sighed, ashamed. "Back when everything started happening, it came in the mail. I didn't know what it was and I opened it and--I was rock bottom then. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin the surprise."
Her heart pounded with fear. "Um...so...it's still at home?"
"Well, yeah. I mean, I'm not a complete heartless bastard, you know."
She glanced down at the floor. "I know."
Then he smiled. "It's safe, don't worry."
"So you saw it, huh?"
"Yup."
"What did you think?"
"I love it, what did you think I'd think?"
"I mean--you know--"
He looked over at her, the writing all over his face and she wanted to laugh. "You didn't get it, did you?" she asked.
He blushed as he prepped his razor.
Mel sighed. "Might as well, right? Three is the age we were when we realized we couldn't live without each other. Ten is the number of years it took for us to find our way. Infinity is the number of years that I'll love you."
He looked over at her, his eyes gazing into hers for a moment before he spoke. "God, I love you so much."
Then she joked, "Hell, I should go back and throw a two on it. Two for the number of months it took to get our shit together." She looked him up and down and realized her position. "Um, let me just get out of here so you can finish up."
He patted her bare thigh and smiled. "It's okay, you can stay. Keep me from cutting myself."
She raised her eyebrows at his electric razor. "Really? With that thing? You're not supposed to be able to--"
He raised an eyebrow at her and she caught on instantly. "Oh yeah. This is you we're talking about...hey, at least you admit it, right?"
Tay smirked at her before he went back to the mirror and started on his face.
She glanced over at him and bit her lip to try to hide her smile as she looked at the floor and swung her legs against the cabinet doors below her. They had just had sex but she was horny all over again. Horny and hungry and adrenaline pumped through her and her boobs hurt and--oh god, she was about to make his life miserable. She felt miserable. She had no idea what to do with herself next. Mel looked over at Taylor once more and prayed that he would just take the reins and let her simply follow his lead. She was too exhausted to do it on her own anymore.
--------------------------------------------
Alternate Jason chapter: http://tyamwedding.weebly.com/all-i-want-is-someone-i-cant-resist-alternate.html
TAYLOR
It took Taylor twenty-four hours before he decided to call Mel.
He couldn't believe he even had to think about it first. It was like he had to stop and think about every move he made now. And while he felt better emotionally, sometimes acting on impulse seemed to be the more logical option. He should have been on a plane right that minute, on his way to have this conversation in person rather than making a phone call.
He sat there with the phone in his hand for what felt like an eternity before he ultimately chickened out and abandoned his mission to confront her about her pregnancy. He just couldn't do it over the phone. It wasn't an option.
Staying in Isaac's guest room was starting to get a little old and Tay had been frequenting his and Mel's house a little more often. The evening after the phone call from Jason, he had spent all night doing something his therapist may have disagreed with--he cleaned out one of the downstairs guest rooms. His next step after that would be to transfer his and Mel's bedroom from upstairs to downstairs, as well, but for now he worked on the guest room.
He knew it was forward and presumptuous to start rearranging the house to prepare for a baby. Nobody in their right mind would do such a thing in the situation he'd found himself in at the present moment. It was forward and presumptuous to even think that he would be bringing Mel back home here. It had been two months since he'd laid eyes on her and, even then, he'd barely heard her voice, either. She'd had so much time to think now and how stupid had he been to suggest she call Jason? For all he knew he could have lost her by now.
Except that he hadn't. Jason had called him--albeit angry as hell, with good reason--and told him she was pregnant. Told him she still loved him. As much as Tay wanted to hate Jason, it seemed that every time he turned around, all Jason ever seemed to give him was hope. It was no wonder Mel was so attached to him.
Once Tay had emptied the guest room, he sat in the middle of the carpeted floor and let his mind run wild. This would be the baby's nursery. Despite not having spoken to Mel, he couldn't wipe the grin off his face. They would be parents. Together. A crib on the opposite wall, a rocking chair by the window...he smiled as the visual formed in his mind: Mel in the chair, rocking gently with the baby on her shoulder. She would hum a lullaby until it fell asleep. Or he would. He wouldn't leave it all up to her. He wouldn't be an absentee father. No matter the decision Mel made on their relationship, he absolutely would not be an absentee father.
He knew it had been a bad idea to sit there and daydream all night, especially after waking up on the carpet in the middle of the empty room the next morning. He ached as a result of it, but it didn't matter. All day long, he couldn't get his mind off of Mel. And the baby. And by the time he'd chickened out with the phone call, he was hauling an overnight bag out of Isaac's front door.
"Tay..." Ike asked uneasily. "Where are you going?"
Tay backtracked back into the house. "Oh, hey, listen, you think you could drive me to the airport?"
"The airport..."
"I mean, I could drive myself, but I hate leaving my vehicle there."
"Where are you going?"
"I have to get her back, Ike. I have to. I've wasted enough time already."
"Have you talked to her?"
Tay's eyes darted around in shame.
"Tay. What would your therapist say about this?"
"I don't care what my therapist says!" And then, taking a moment to calm himself, he continued. "I mean, it's not her business. I have to save my relationship. Hell, I gotta know if I even still have a shot. You know? I have to do this."
Ike searched his brother's eyes for a moment before he nodded. "Okay. Okay, let's go."
------------------
As his bag hung from his shoulder, Taylor took a deep breath as he stood outside the door of their condo. Mel was just on the other side of that door. It was the closest he'd been to her in two months. For all he knew, she could have changed the locks. He didn't know. He knew coming in at the middle of the night was a creep move. He could only pray he would come out of this confrontation alive. But he had to do it. He had to take the chance.
Unlocking the door as quietly as he could, he was relieved to find his keys to be in working order. It was dark in the apartment and he closed the door behind him as quietly as he'd opened it. Turning around, he gently lay his overnight bag on the floor next to him when the sight he saw melted his heart and took his breath away.
Curled up on the sofa under the dim lamp light, Mel lay sleeping in a ball under a throw blanket. The sight nearly overwhelmed him when everything from heartbreak to guilt to sorrow to adoration and love all washed over him at the same time. He took a few quiet steps over to the sofa and gently sat himself against the arm of it, watching her sleep. He longed to touch her, but he couldn't bear to wake her. After a couple of moments, he gently lifted her from the couch, surprised that she didn't wake, and carried her to their bedroom. Tucking her into their bed, he kissed her forehead and watched her sleep for a moment more before he made his way back into the living room.
Taylor didn't sleep at all that night. He stretched out on the sofa where Mel had been, staring up at the ceiling, not knowing what to expect. Would she get up in the middle of the night? Would she get up early in the morning? Would she shift in her sleep and freak out when she discovered her sudden change of scenery? How would he greet her in the morning without scaring the shit out of her? Would the shock hurt the baby?
Dammit, why hadn't he thought these things through first?
He had finally dozed off when he heard a sound that made his eyes snap open into the morning sunlight that now flooded the room. After the master bathroom door shut, he shot off the couch and straightened his clothes and his hair. Why did he sleep in his clothes? What was he thinking?
Tay was going through his bag that he'd left by the door when Mel finally walked into the living room. She froze when her eyes landed on him and he slowly stood back up, not knowing where this was going to go. His heart practically beat out of his chest and his knees weakened at the confrontation.
As she stood before him, in a white t-shirt and loose-fitted pajama pants, Mel's voice caught in her throat before she could even speak as she took a couple of steps backward. "I didn't say you could come here."
"I know," he said, stepping a few steps toward her. "I had to see you."
"You could have called first."
He stepped closer to her. "There was no time." Reaching hesitantly for her waist, he asked her, "Can I--?"
"No," she said suddenly, backing away and covering her mouth with her hand as tears welled up in her eyes. "No. Please don't touch me. If you touch me, I'll fall. And I don't want to fall."
Taking a hit from her words, he shoved his hands in his pockets and sat himself on the arm of the sofa, looking at her as the sun in the sky shone in the window behind her. "I, uh, didn't realize you'd gotten back up."
"I've been trying so hard," she whispered.
His eyes followed her hand as it instinctively fell against her stomach and he looked back up in her eyes. "So it's true?"
Fear flashed in her eyes for a moment before they hardened. "Did Jason tell you? He's the only one who knows."
"Don't be mad at him," Tay said gently. "Why wouldn't you want to tell me?"
She was silent as she glanced around and fidgeted with her fingers. "I don't know. Why are you here? Because of the baby? How convenient."
"I can't live without you."
"Could have fooled me," she muttered.
Tay sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I fucked up. I fucked up bad. I need you, Mel. I'm--I'm asking you, please--don't give up on me."
"We're toxic," she responded. "All we do is cause each other pain. Who can live like that?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
Tears filled her eyes once again and her voice cracked as she looked away from him. "I shouldn't have left you."
"I deserved it."
"But then you--" she paused to cover her mouth to fight back the tears. "But then you told me you couldn't be there for me. You made me call Jason. It was like--like saying, 'Here, call someone who cares.' "
"Mel, no. It was never like that."
"I miss you so much."
"I miss you, too. Desperately. I just--I hope I'm not too late. Am I? Too late?"
She looked back at him in silence, sniffing away her tears.
"Please. I'm begging you for one more chance. Please. I'm not ready for this to be over. I love you."
And then she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, letting the tears flow freely. She held him tightly, her fist tightly gripping the his shirt behind his neck. Tears sprang to his own eyes as she sobbed on his shoulder. Her body shook with her weeping as she maintained the death grip around his neck. He held her tightly as she whispered through her tears, "I'm so scared, Tay. I'm scared to death."
"Shh," he whispered, stroking her hair. "It's okay, sweetheart. I'm here now, there's nothing to be afraid of."
"I don't know what I'm doing," she wept. "I've been horrible. I haven't been doing anything right." She pulled away from his shoulder and wiped her eyes as he still held her against him. He couldn't let her go. "I just--I've stressed myself out, I haven't eaten right. Hell, I didn't even know I was screwing up till Jason came over with fucking fruit and vitamins and--I've only been to the doctor once. And that was the visit when I found out and--what if I kill this baby, too? What if I've already done it?"
"First of all, calm down. You didn't kill any baby. Not then and not now," he said, reaching up to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "We just need to make an appointment. Okay? Simple as that, I'm sure everything is fine."
"I already did," she said, attempting to dry herself up. "It's next week."
"Okay," he nodded. "That's a step in the right direction. Um, do you want me to be there?"
Mel nodded. "I don't want to do it alone."
"You won't be alone, I promise." Then he reached into his pocket. "Um, I--uh, forgive me if I'm being forward. And--and if it's too soon, that's okay. I understand. But, um--" Nervously, he opened his fist to reveal her engagement ring in his palm. "Um, what--I mean, do you think--?"
Mel's eyes widened as she stared at her ring as he offered it to her.
"I don't know what to do," he continued. "I just--I mean, do I get down on one knee, or--or do I--?"
"What have we done?" she whispered. "How did we get here?"
Tay smiled nervously and ran a hand through his hair again. "Uh, I had a moment and you had enough."
"Except that I haven't had enough."
"My eyes have never been as open as they are right now. You have to believe me."
"There's no way we could be married by the 20th next month."
"It's okay."
Hesitantly, she took the ring from his hand and his heart pounded. He wasn't sure he could take the anticipation anymore. "If I put this on," she said to him. "It'll be the last time. I won't go through this again. I want us to be a family and I want you to be there for our child, but I will not go through this again. And neither will you."
"I promise, I will spend the rest of my life making this up to you."
With that, she slid her engagement ring back on her finger and he wasted no time taking her back in his arms and kissing her passionately. Kissing her took his breath. As he kissed her, he gave her his heart, his soul, and his entire life, completely surrendering himself to her.
His hand dropped to her stomach and she broke the kiss, catching his wrist with fear in her eyes. "Tay--"
He smiled at her. "We're having a baby."
Slowly, she returned his smiled and she nodded. "Yeah, I guess we are."
"We're gonna be so happy."
She bit her lip as she smiled. "You know what would make me happy?"
"Anything you want."
"If you took me to bed."
His grin widened. "Yeah?"
She nodded again. "Yeah."
Playfully, he swept her off her feet and scooped her up into his arms and she giggled as he carried her into their bedroom. There, Taylor spent hours making love to his fiancée.
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MEL
The turn of events over the past couple of days was enough to make Mel's head spin. At this point she still didn't know whether to be grateful to Jason or throw him to the wolves. She called him while Taylor was in the shower.
"So, um, Tay's here," she said to him.
"Oh, really? That was fast. Not quite as fast as I'd hoped, but fast."
"I should be furious with you right now."
"Except that you're not."
"Jason. After everything that--what you did for me was--it takes an extraordinary man to do what you did."
"I only want you to be happy. I don't expect any rewards or brownie points."
"I know. But I wanted you to know how important you are to me. You're my best friend. I can't--I can't go through life without you in it."
"That's not gonna happen."
"I mean, I know with how you--"
"I said it's not gonna happen. You're my best friend, too. And I can't go through life without you in it, either. Face it, kid, you're stuck with me."
"I worry about you."
"You worry too much."
"Please don't hate Tay."
Jason sighed into the phone. "I'm--you're asking me to--shit, Mel. I just--it'll take some time. I know what he means to you. I don't want to make your life complicated and I want to respect your relationship. I mean, I'm not in your business like that and I don't know all the inner workings of it and all that, but--to me, you come first. Way before him. And I'm going to protect you any way I can. So when he goes and pulls stunts like--it's just gonna take time for me to get over this one. Okay?"
"Okay," she agreed quietly.
"Look, I gotta go," he said. "I have one more meeting before I hop a plane out of here."
"Where are you off to now?"
"I think I'm gonna go home."
Mel smiled into the phone. "Really?"
"Yeah. Really. You were right, I need to spend more time at home. It'll be good for me."
"Send me lots of pictures."
"I'll flood your inbox."
"You better."
Mel felt better after her conversation with Jason. She felt better that he was heading home. And she felt better knowing that, once again, she hadn't scared him away. Maybe this entire experience was good for everyone all the way around. She didn't know. She did know how desperate she was for normalcy, however, and this was the first time in a long time she'd felt anything close to it.
Glancing up at the bathroom door, a small smile flashed across her face and she slid out of the bed and slipped her clothes back on. Gently, she opened the door. Standing in front of a foggy mirror in the steam- filled room, Tay stood at the sink in his underwear, preparing to shave, as she stood in the doorway holding the door open. "Tay?"
He turned around and smiled. "Hey, what's up?"
"Will you marry me?"
The question apparently caught him off guard for a moment and confusion briefly crossed his face. Then he reached out and hooked his arm around her waist, jerking her into the bathroom. "God, yes," he smiled as he covered her mouth with his.
Pulling away from him, she hopped up onto the counter beside him and let her legs hang off the side. Counting on her fingers, she said, "Let's see, that's...three marriage proposals so far. Third time's the charm, right?"
He raised an eyebrow as he opened the case to his razor. "First time was the charm, if you ask me."
"Sorry I couldn't do it with a ring," she shrugged.
"It's at home," he said, simply.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "How do you know?"
He sighed, ashamed. "Back when everything started happening, it came in the mail. I didn't know what it was and I opened it and--I was rock bottom then. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin the surprise."
Her heart pounded with fear. "Um...so...it's still at home?"
"Well, yeah. I mean, I'm not a complete heartless bastard, you know."
She glanced down at the floor. "I know."
Then he smiled. "It's safe, don't worry."
"So you saw it, huh?"
"Yup."
"What did you think?"
"I love it, what did you think I'd think?"
"I mean--you know--"
He looked over at her, the writing all over his face and she wanted to laugh. "You didn't get it, did you?" she asked.
He blushed as he prepped his razor.
Mel sighed. "Might as well, right? Three is the age we were when we realized we couldn't live without each other. Ten is the number of years it took for us to find our way. Infinity is the number of years that I'll love you."
He looked over at her, his eyes gazing into hers for a moment before he spoke. "God, I love you so much."
Then she joked, "Hell, I should go back and throw a two on it. Two for the number of months it took to get our shit together." She looked him up and down and realized her position. "Um, let me just get out of here so you can finish up."
He patted her bare thigh and smiled. "It's okay, you can stay. Keep me from cutting myself."
She raised her eyebrows at his electric razor. "Really? With that thing? You're not supposed to be able to--"
He raised an eyebrow at her and she caught on instantly. "Oh yeah. This is you we're talking about...hey, at least you admit it, right?"
Tay smirked at her before he went back to the mirror and started on his face.
She glanced over at him and bit her lip to try to hide her smile as she looked at the floor and swung her legs against the cabinet doors below her. They had just had sex but she was horny all over again. Horny and hungry and adrenaline pumped through her and her boobs hurt and--oh god, she was about to make his life miserable. She felt miserable. She had no idea what to do with herself next. Mel looked over at Taylor once more and prayed that he would just take the reins and let her simply follow his lead. She was too exhausted to do it on her own anymore.
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Alternate Jason chapter: http://tyamwedding.weebly.com/all-i-want-is-someone-i-cant-resist-alternate.html