Sitting at the glass, table that held pride of place in the middle of the Swift dining room, Travis sipped his iced tea and focused on his breathing whilst Taylor rummaged around looking for the first aid kit
"Are you sure your parents won't be upset to find me here?"
"Why would they be upset? They trust me"
"But would they trust me?"
Taylor turned to face him, hand on hip and eyebrow cocked
"Why? Should they not trust you?" the darkness of her voice told Travis exactly what she had on her mind and he just shook his head and attempted to repress the laugh that was building in his stomach
"You have to be the cockiest 18 year old I have ever met, do you know that?"
Turning back to her search Taylor snorted
"I dunno about that, there's this boy in my year... He'd definitely give me a run for my money"
"Oh yeah?" She looked at Travis and the intensity in his eyes made her heart stop dead in her chest "Maybe you should tell me about him some time" He drawled and Taylors heart beat suddenly returned but this time pounding twice as fast as she had ever felt it before.
"Ah-ha, found it!"
Walking over to the wounded man she reached for his hand, carefully unwrapping the tea towel she had haphazardly wrapped over it in her panic upon entering the house.
Looking up at him she winked and then slowly ran her tongue over her bottom lip
" Nurse Taylor, at your service. Anything I can do to make you feel better just let me know"
Again she let her eyelid drop in to a wink and again Travis shook his head as she opened the kit and got to work
"So what happened? Did someone hurt you?" Taylors eyes were dark pools of concern and Travis felt something in his chest he barely recognized. The way she touched him like he was fragile, looked at his as though he was precious... He wasn't sure anyone had ever made him feel those things before.
He was used to girls looking at him, of course he was but usually it was with lust or desire but now Taylor was looking at him as though she would her own child and that made Travis' soul scream out for something it had never known...his mother's love.
When he was younger he could remember hugs and kisses, the look of terror in his mom's eyes when he hurt himself but that had dissappeared one day and it had never returned.
Now when he was hurt she was cold when he cried she turned her back when he succeeded she was blank, when he needed her she was gone.
His chest cavity felt black and empty without her but no matter what he said, no matter how he begged her to see him she remained blind to him
"No one hurt me they just..."
"Taylor I'm home!"
"That's my mom, she's cool, she won't mind me bringing you here. Mommy! We're in the kitchen, come help us"
Almost at once a small blond haired lady entered the kitchen, her face lit up as she made eye contact with her daughter and then crumpled at the sight of Travis' hand"
"Oh my God! Are you OK?" Sinu was beside Travis in a heart beat taking his most damaged hand from Taylor and observing it closely
"He thought it would be fun to practice his boxing skills against a brick wall" Taylor rolled her eyes as her mother's never left Travis' hand
"Taylor get me some bandages and..."
"Uh... Travis, m'am"
"And Travis I'm sorry but this might sting a little"
Travis shrugged
"It's my own fault"
As Sinu cleaned up his hand he couldnt help but stare, the way she handled him, the way she looked in to his eyes every few seconds just to make sure he was ok... He had never felt so cared for and by someone who had known him all of two minutes.
Watching as Taylor followed her mother's instructions, dashing off to fetch wipes and ointment and bandages as the two of them observed the wound and discussed treatment options made him feel like a little boy who had hurt himself and was now being tended to by people who loved him and cared for him, it was a silly feeling, he knew that. These people didn't know him or care particularly for him they were just good people with good hearts.
"What happened that was so terrible you had to do this to your self" Sinus voice was soft and so filled with concern Travis was shocked to feel the sting of tears.
"I um... I was robbed" Taylor and Sinu both heaved in a breath in shock
"What did they take?" Taylors hand was on his shoulder as Sinu squeezed his wrist in a show of concern
"My guitar"
"Oh Travis I'm so sorry" Taylor rubbed his shoulder as though she knew what that guitar meant to him but she didn't, she couldn't.
"I know it doesn't seem like it now" Sinu spoke again and her voice was so soothing he felt himself hanging on her every word "But material things can be replaced, you my dear, can't" Sinu rubbed his head as she stood up from the table and walked to refill his glass of iced tea.
Travis felt so safe, so cared for, even though these women were practically strangers to him that he couldnt hold back the truth that spilled over his lips. A truth he hadn't shared with anyone in almost 14 years
"The uh...the guitar was my dad's, he died when I was a little boy, it was the last thing he ever gave to me. I had just had my first lesson and my tutor swore that I was a natural, my dad was so proud he gave it to me, made me promise to become the rockstar he was never able to be"
Before he could even breath Taylors arms were around him and she pulled his head flush to her chest
"Travis I am so sorry, we'll help you to get it back, we will go to the police or do whatever, won't we mama, won't we get it back for him?"
Sinu just smiled sadly at him and handed him the refilled glass.
"Shall I call your mother to come for you?"
"God no! My mother and I we... It's not an easy relationship, if she finds out I lost the guitar..."
"You didn't lose the guitar, it was stolen, it's not your fault" Taylor stated
"My mom definitely won't see it that way. If she finds out I don't have it, it will be over for me"
Sinu took his other hand in hers and began treating it, aware that Travis was becoming increasingly emotional she decided to change the subject
"So Taylor, you haven't told me how your date went on Friday" Taylor and Travis' eyes locked for a second, and Sinu paused looking between the two
"Wait, your date wasn't with..."
"No!" they both cried out in unison and shook their heads vigorously
"It was just a guy from school. Travis is just looking at me like that because he thinks he's the only guy I bring home, as if!" She winked at her mother and both women burst into fits of laughter
"Did he treat you nice? Was he a gentleman?"
"He was nice" Taylor didn't miss Travis' uncontrollable snort at the word 'nice'"
" So will you be going out with him again?"
"Well that depends really"
"On?"
"On whether someone's going to bend the rules or not" She smiled innocently at Travis as she walked past him, her fingers trailing over the back of his neck as she went and causing Travis' body to react in a way he knew he was going to find hard if not impossible to ignore
