Mad Woman✓

7. When your lips touch mine

"Take a breath, no rest 'til the sunrise... Heartbeat, so sweet when your lips touch mine." 

   POV JOE ALWYN:

It's past midnight when the front door finally opens. I hurry toward it, my heart speeding up. Taylor is putting her jacket on the rack and Harlow is shaking his head. He has a tiny smile on his face, but Taylor looks upset, knocked for six. "You really sh-" "Shut up, Harlow. Hi Joe."

"How'd it go?" I ask eagerly. Taylor may look shocked, but Harlow is smiling and acting very excited.

"Fine. Here", she says distantly. She hands me an envelope. Without saying another word, she kicks her shoes off and runs up the stairs.

"Is she alright?" I ask Harlow.

He no longer has a moustache, but I'm still not sure if he wore a fake one two days ago, or he shaved.

"There was a.... complication. But she'll be alright. We handled it. I think that you should just- Maybe just leave her alone for a little while."

"What do you mean, a complication?" A complication can't be good. It doesn't sound good...

"The dude that gave us the stuff knew our real names."

"How could he have known?" "I don't know, Taylor doesn't know. But he's not a problem anymore." "What did you do?" "Nothing we hadn't done before."

I look at him, shaking my head at his weird answer. "I should go check on her."

"I wouldn't, she's... not herself right now." I ignore Harlow, turn around and run up the stairs.

The door to our bedroom is locked and I sigh.

"Taylor, are you alright?"

"Yeah, just leave me alone, Joe." She sounds sombre.

"Taylor-" "Just go." "No." "Joe." "You know what, Taylor? It isn't fair, none of this is! I don't even know what 'our' plan is and now there was a complication and I am stressing the hell out! I barely even know why we're running from these guys! Yes, they're dickheads, for sure. But that doesn't mean we have to run! And today I spent being terrified because there was no way I could call you to ask you how you were. I was worried sick! Can you please just talk to me?!" I say, desperately. I am starting to feel frustrated. My heart is racing.

"I said, leave me alone!" she barks, "Go away, go away, go away! Just leave me-" "No! I won't! I want to know what the fuck is going on! I am scared, and I don't even know what it is that I am scared of! It isn't fair! You don't tell me anything!"

There's a silence but after a few seconds, she sighs.

"I will tell you, okay? I have to make a call first, and I need to calm down for a while. Just leave me for now, alright? I promise we'll talk."

"Okay, fine!" I say back, no longer shouting. I turn around and run down the stairs.

I open the front door and walk out, not caring about being seen by whoever. Nobody knows me here anyway. And if they do, good for them.

I sit down on the porch and bite down on my lip. I hate how I'm feeling, I never feel like this. Not anymore. I used to feel like this when I was an angry teenager - especially when my dad died - but I am not like this anymore.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes.

I take in the sounds of the traffic, the laughter from unknown neighbours and the sound of children singing.

I take in the soft smell of the outside air, a woody smell mixed with food.

I take in the soft wind on my face, on my bare legs and arms.