addicted. (a tayvis short story)

c h a p t e r . t e n

"You were driving my truck like a wild woman," Travis stated, closing his the door of his police car. He couldn't help but to laugh and shake his head at her as she hopped out of the drivers side of the truck. She was too damn cute for her own good.

"Sorry," Taylor replied with a giggle as they moved closer to each other. "Liz and I got everything except Ian's bed, dresser, and toy trunk."

"No problem." Travis looked around at the house Taylor once lived in with Joe. He noticed Joe's car was there, so this wouldn't be easy. He was sure there would be some type of struggle when it came to the slightly younger man.

"He wasn't home earlier, though," Taylor said, also noticing Joe's car in the drive way. Travis wrapped an arm around Taylor's shoulder and rubbed it.

"It'll be fine. I'll handle him if need be," he stated simply as they walked toward the door. Taylor swallowed as she unlocked the door. Her heart raced as they pushed the door open and stepped over the threshold. Taylor was reluctant to venture further into the house, fearful that Joe would be waiting. Travis got in front of Taylor and then began looking around.

"Joe?" Taylor called. Travis turned his head, trying to hear anything. He heard nothing, but his senses were telling him there was something. "Maybe he's with Mike or something," Taylor said with a shrug.

"Maybe," Travis agreed, not believing Joe was gone. He noticed a cell phone on the coffee table and was sure it was Joe's. "He's here," he muttered.

"What?" Taylor asked as they slowly walked toward Ian's room.

"Nothing," Travis covered, not wanting to alarm her. After the incident, she was fearful of the man she had once called her fiance. "You said everything that's left is in Ian's room, right?" Taylor nodded as they made their way into the room. Travis looked around. Travis saw the closet, and his eyes locked in on it. Travis walked over the closet and opened the door ready to defend himself, but nothing was in it.

"Are you okay?" Taylor asked, trying not to giggle. She was convinced that Joe wasn't there, but seeing Travis so jumpy was slowly making her think otherwise.

"Yeah," he said, turning to face her. "You guys managed to take the bed down and you took the drawers out of the dresser."

"We women can do stuff, too. We're strong," she stated, making a muscle with her arm.

"Okay, strong woman, take the other side of the dresser, and let's get it out of here," he instructed, placing himself at one side. She took the other side, and they lifted on three.

"It's not as heavy as I thought."

"Without the drawers, it isn't really all that heavy at all," he told her as they maneuvered through the living room and out of the front food..

They walked back into the house after getting the dresser loaded into the truck. "That was easy," Taylor stated leading the way to Ian's room.

"I bet...I did all the work," Travis told her with a chuckle. The bed and the trunk are the only things left, right?" he asked once they entered the room.

"Yeah, that and Ian's baby books," Taylor answered, going into the closet. Ian's baby books where her pride and joy. It was one of the many things she did with her time while she stayed home with him while Joe went off to work in different cities.