what came next

two - travis

Travis' POV

I had Taylor's number, but I didn't text her right away. I didn't know what to do about her. She was obviously still hurt by what I'd done, and rightly so. I'd known I'd fucked up the second I'd called her childish and told her she didn't know what love was.

I knew now that Taylor had loved me, and by some miracle I'd loved her too. But I'd fucked up, pushed her away when she'd needed me. She'd run, had the baby on her own, and she'd worked so hard to keep both of them afloat. I just couldn't believe it.

The next Friday morning, I tracked down the number of Taylor's boss and called her.

"Hello, Tori speaking." She answered.

"Hi Tori, you don't know me, but my name is Travis." I said. "I'm a friend of Taylor's."

"Oh you know there's a number for the office phone if you want me to put you through to her."

"I know, I actually just wanted to ask if you had her bank details."

"Why?" She asked tentatively.

"Well she gave me the wrong account number and I owe her some money I borrowed, but I know she's really busy and I don't want to bother her." I lied, knowing it was a terrible excuse but hoping it might sound good enough.

"You just want the number of the account?"

"Yes."

"Okay." Tori sighed. "I'll get it for you, text it through."

I murmured my thanks, and five minutes later an account number arrived in my texts. Putting it into my banking app, I transferred a few hundred dollars over to Taylor's account. It was the least I could do for her right now, and I'd continue to send her money. I hadn't been able to support her or my daughter for the last four years, but I could start now. I'd just do a few hundred dollars every now and then, and then maybe more if Taylor was okay with it. I knew she was stubborn.

My phone rang fifteen minutes later. Taylor's number. I swallowed, staring down at my phone for a long moment, at her name, before I answered it.

"You didn't." Her voice snapped before I had the chance to answer, rough like she hadn't slept properly.

"I didn't what?" I asked.

"The money Travis!" She cried. "The money! My bank called me and said eight hundred dollars had come in from an account they didn't recognize so they gave me the phone number attached to it and it was yours!"

"Taylor..."

"No." Taylor cut me off. "What makes you think you have the right to treat me and Bella like a charity case?"

"Taylor." I said quietly. "I just want to help."

"Well you're not helping!" She said, and then I heard her coughing in the background.

"Taylor are you sick?"

"No." She mumbled.

"Please tell me you're not at work right now."

"Of course I am." Taylor sniffed. She was definitely sick.

"Okay, I'm coming to get you, and I'm taking you home." I told her, hanging up and grabbing my keys. I'd only just dropped Olly to school and gone to the office, but I didn't need to go in today if I didn't want to. 

Knowing I didn't have the right to do this, but knowing I was going to do it anyway, I drove to the little real estate office where Taylor worked. I still cared about her, wanted to make sure she was okay, and I knew she was too stubborn to admit that she was sick and needed to get some rest. She'd hate me for showing up to get her, but I wasn't going to just let her work while sick.