Life & Love of the Tormented

Chapter Fifty Six

  * Ding Ding *

  'I knew they'd end up together! That's great news. Tell them we say hello please. Enjoy your weekend with your friends my girl. Be safe and we'll see you Sunday night. Love you, Mum x'

  "Who's that?", Taya asks from across the table motioning a manicured finger at my phone in my hand. "Please tell me you haven't replaced me with a new bestie in the Bay!?"

  "Oh, no, it's Mum", I reply, "And how could I possibly replace you? A. I don't go anywhere! And B. why would I want to? You're such a delight! Not nosy or anything!", I exclaim rolling my eyes before bursting into laughter.

Taya pulls the finger at me. "Love you too", she says dramatically.

"Mum says hello to you both by the way. And she's claiming she knew you two would end up together", I smile at Taya and Ben who are seated across from me holding hands.

  "You told Mum already?", Taya asks blushing slightly and laughing nervously.

"She asked how you both were so I told her", I shrug. "She's happy for you two".

  Taya smiles and plops the blueberry she was holding into her mouth and I see Ben give her hand a little squeeze. The gesture is cute and comforting.

  Her smile broadens.

Taya has never really done the 'boyfriend' / 'relationship' thing, not for as long as I've known her anyways. But I can tell by the way she smiles and smirks at any mention of the two of them being 'together', that she's actually fallen hard for Ben. She looks so happy and I am so so happy for her.

I wish I could have something like that with Carter. I wish I was normal enough to have a relationship function correctly and in a healthy manner...

Maybe one day...

"Sooo have you heard from Bradley again?", Taya asks abruptly breaking me from my thoughts of Carter... Fuck I miss him.

My mood shifts.

"Umm What?", I ask stunned. What did she just ask me? Why is she bringing up my biological father?

"Sorry... I just know he'd tried to contact you a few weeks ago and I thought he may have tried again while you've been away...", Taya answers. The realisation that it's not quite the right time to ask begins to crawl across her face.

"No. I blocked his number.", I say bluntly, trying not to let the mention of his existence ruin my day.

"Oh okay, I'm sorry for asking... I just wanted to check... So what's the plans for tonight?", Taya asks trying to change the subject quickly. "Pre drinks at ours first?"

  "I'm not drinking", I reply, "But please don't not drink for the sake of me though okay? I'll be fine I promise, I don't even feel like one", I say confidently. Surprisingly I don't feel like a drink.

Well I didn't before the mention of...

No no I don't... I don't need it...

  "I'm proud of you Meels", Taya smiles at me.

"Thank you", I smile back.

—

  "Where are you going?", Taya asks as I walk toward my bedroom as soon as we enter the house when we arrive home from brunch.

  "For a nap so I'm not tired tonight", I reply back, "You two should go 'nap' too", I say winking at the pair and exaggerating the air quotes with my fingers.

  "Ha ha! Yeah right", Taya says, suggesting they aren't going to go to her room and fool around.

  "I'll wear my headphones", I yell as I walk away laughing.