Love Under Construction (Love By Design 1)

It would figure, in this circle I was on everyone’s shit list. “Am I like the bad guy now?”

“Right now, yeah.” I couldn’t dispute Kristen’s concerns, but I hadn’t lied, only omitted the truth because her father asked me too.

“I was purchasing his medications because he wouldn’t use the money he had given Taylor Jane for the mortgage deposit on the project house.”

“That doesn’t matter, you kept her out the loop.”

I gritted my teeth. There would be no winning this battle. “He asked me not to, I was trying to honor his wishes.”

“Bro, just apologize.” The moment I started taking advice from my cousin was the day the world shifted on its axis. Damien had no idea how much Taylor Jane would feel

betrayed by this. There was no winning, but I was ready to concede.

31

Taylor Jane

I stayed in the hospital well past visiting hours curled up with my neck and arms protesting. My eyes were soaked and raw, but as daddy slept in his bed and me in the chair, I spied a pair of long legs stretched out in a seat just outside the door. He couldn’t have comfortable slouched over like that, because Hunter had never left.

How do you stay mad at someone who was only trying to protect you?

I couldn’t.

I had no idea what time it was, but neither my dad nor Hunter stirred when the nurse on duty came in to check him. His vitals were strong; he was going to make it. The next question was would I make it if I let Hunter go? Quietly, I got up and sneaked past his big hunk of a body down the hall to the coffee machine in the waiting room. I saw Pastor Rooney reading from a Bible probably waiting to see my dad. Evan’s father had come when my mother died, dad wasn’t dying but I did need him to focus on living. The surgeon had passed me several brochures for beautiful rehab centers in the area that could help him get back on his feet. Once I sold the project property I could pay for it outright and clear the debts borrowed on my parent’s house. It had to work, it was my only option and though stressed, I felt good about letting the beautiful house Hunter and I worked so hard on go. I only hoped it was someone who could appreciate specially designed closet space, original claw foot tubs, and the bane of Hunter’s existence–that crown molding in the living room.

Pastor Rooney nodded to me and I grabbed two coffees from the machine walking back to my dad’s room. The paper cups were burning my finger, a penance I supposed for my bratty behavior the night before. I stood three feet away from Hunter hoping I hadn’t put miles between us feeling so betrayed last night. He wore the same clothes, tight fitting t-shirt, work jeans in a faded blue they reminded me of the morning sky, and his steel toe boots.

“Hey.” He said with a rough morning voice that reminded me of sex and sin, something I missed with him. I handed him a coffee.

“Hey, thanks for staying.” I let my fingertip trace the rim of the paper cup feeling uncertain of where we stood with each other because at some point in the night, my anger had dissipated.

“Yeah, no problem.” He took a sip of the coffee and got up to leave.

“You’re going?”

“I need to take care of a few things. I’ll see you around.” With that, I watched him walk out of the hospital and I plunked my sore butt on his newly vacated chair wondering where the heck to go from here.

He was my best friend, but the constant reminders did more than keep me in place. They told me I might be fighting a losing battle for his heart. How could he have left things that way after the drive-in? Just like that, the man I thought was finally opening up to me shut the door and cut off all communication. He wouldn’t return my phone calls or text messages and would only come to the project house if I wasn’t alone. All of a sudden he no longer trusted himself with me.

* * * * *

“I don’t know what to do. It’s a mess and I feel like I’ve ruined years of our friendship, for what? Some hot sex and a flipped house? Seems trite to me.”

Kristen and I were commiserating over drinks at Easton’s pub. I didn’t want to go far and this was better than trying to hide my feelings from my dad.

“Why would Hunter have pictures of us on his phone? Okay, well, more like pictures of you, but Damien sent them all because he’s a damn pervert.”

“What?” This was new. I never heard this before. “How do you even know this? Or should I not be asking you?”

“Yeah, when I stole Demon’s phone, I saw all those picture messages he sent. He must have deleted the photos. Well, the ones of you, but the messages were all there. Ass shots too.”

We looked at each other and started laughing.

“Oh my God. Can you imagine Hunter’s reaction?”

“Homicidal maybe?”

“Most definitely. Taylor, I think he really cares about you and he had no clue how to handle that situation.”