The Black Tangled Heart

The Over Protective Brother

Taylor sat at her dressing table and felt her hand shake every time she tried to lift it to apply mascara

Dinner tonight was destined to be the absolute worst, Roger and Maria were her dates but now, somehow, and she didn't know how it had happened but Travis and Cassie were coming along too

By the end of the night there would be no secrets, she knew that, knew the way Travis operated, the way his brain latched on to things and never let go. He had proved that by the way he had treated her after only a couple of nights of sex

Looking in to the mirror, Taylor let her gaze fall on the black and grey check design of her dress and fought the urge to rip it from her body and present herself exactly as she felt, naked, exposed, vulnerable and nude

Picking up her phone she pressed call and waited for the voice to answer "Don't come tonight"

"Too late, Travis is picking me up at 7"

"Cassie please..."

"I'm not giving up the opportunity to spend the evening with Travis, just a couple of drinks and he won't be able to resist me, I mean look how easy he made himself for you"

"He isn't interested in you Cassie and you know that, he's only coming because he wants to ruin my date but it's not like that, it's not a romantic date, it's a family dinner, please Cassie. I'm begging you not to bring him"

"Sorry" was he friends reply as she hung up the phone and Taylor had to fight the urge to scream out in frustration.

Scrolling to Travis' number, she paused for a second and then realised there was no point calling him. If she even tried to ask him to cancel he would wonder why and that would only make this whole situation ten times worse

"Are you ready to go?" Asked Maria, suddenly appearing behind her daughter, oblivious to the personal boundaries of Taylor's bedroom

"I don't want to go, please don't make me"

"You're wearing the dress I see"

"I hate it. I hate him and I hate you too"

"Please don't make a scene when we're out to dinner, Roger's taking us somewhere very up market and it won't reflect well on him if there's a teenager in a mood sat at the table, best behaviour Taylor, got it?"

Taylor turned to look at Maria for the first time and the tiny, silky red mini dress she was wearing made Taylors stomach turn

"The boy that was here last week and last night" Maria said in a way that let Taylor know she had heard them "I don't like him"

"Neither do I" huffed Taylor as she reached for a red lipstick

"I don't want him in the house"

"He'll never be back" Taylor replied, her heart contracting just a little and making her want to punch herself in the chest so her heart took the warning not to get involved

"I never want to see him again Taylor, I mean it. If he steps foot in this house again I will tell daddy all about it" Taylor gave her mother a tiny smile, not brave enough to admit to her that in just a few hours time they would all be sat around the same table

**********

"Where are you going?" Asked Jason Kelce as he sat up straight in his chair and observed his younger brother with a frown

"Out"

"Done up like a dog's dinner?"

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"I'm just not used to seeing you with gunk in your hair and your shoes all shined up. Who's the girl? Not the same one we were talking about way back I hope"

Travis' eyes dropped to the button on his shirt as he tried to decide whether to fasten one more or not, he knew Taylor loved to look at his chest but he didn't want the blond pawing him all night in front of her and eliminating his chances of a hook up

"So is it?"

"I told you I wasn't done with her yet" Travis answered whilst looking through his wallet, money, cards, condom... although he had some work to do if he was to convince Taylor to come home with him

"You also told me it was just sex which means taking clothes off not putting fancy clothes on"

"Yeah well it's not that simple, okay?"

"Explain it to me" Jason leaned forward in his seat, his face menacing and Travis knew he wouldn't like any reason he gave him as to why he was still involved with Taylor

"She was hurt" Travis said quietly, as he picked up his phone and turned towards the front door "I was with her one night and she was black and blue. Her mom said she'd done it but I know it was a lie... I'm not letting her get hurt again Jay, I can't"

"No" Was the only word Jason needed to say to cause Travis to stop in his tracks

"Jason..."

"No!" His brother jumped to his feet and headed across the carpet towards Travis "Do not get involved in this Trav"

"Too late"

"I'm warning you, keep out of it"

"No Jason, I'm involved now and I'm not walking away. Taylor and I it's... it's not that easy"

"Travis..."

"Don't tell me what to do, I'm a big boy now and I know what I'm doing, I know what I'm getting involved in and I'm not walking away"

"Haven't you learnt anything?!"

"Sure, I learnt what happens when everyone walks away. That is not happening to Taylor, not of I can do anything about it and I'm pretty sure I can"

"So where exactly are you going? So I know where you are just in case something goes wrong"

"Just dinner"

"With?"

"Taylor and her date oh and some blond that seems determined to make my life as difficult as possible"

"You're going to dinner with the girl you're fuckin and her date?"

"Her date who I assume is the guy that hurt her"

"Fuck!" Said Jason as he ran his fingers through his dark brown hair and then turned and headed out of the room

"Where are you going?" Travis called behind him

"To get dressed, obviously I have to come with you"

"Why? You know I can take care of myself"

"That's not the problem little brother, keeping you out of jail for murder is the problem"

*a wee bit more info on Travis