"What happens when the person you thought you could trust turns into a full blown nightmare... Will you ever be able to heal from the damage? Will life ever be the same again? Well, does love even exist?"
Taylor and Joe have been in a relationship f...
The roads are quieter the closer I get to her place, a crappy apartment on the east side, the kind of place where nobody looks twice at who's coming or going. I park down the street, killing the engine, and sit there for a second, the building looming ahead.
It's been years, but the memories start flooding back the moment I lay eyes on the building. Late nights, bad decisions, too many times thinking I could make things work with her.
"Snap out of it." I tell myself. This isn't about that. This is about what I need. Nothing else.
I step out of the car, my hands stuffed deep in my pockets, walking with my head down, trying not to think about how familiar this all feels. The cracked pavement, the flickering streetlight, the worn-down stairs leading up to her door. It's like walking back into a bad dream I've had too many times. I knock twice, sharp and quick. The door swings open almost immediately, and there she is.
Kayla leans against the doorframe, her smile slow and dangerous. She's dressed down—tank top, shorts, messy hair—but she's still got that same pull, that magnetism that used to make me lose my mind.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Travis." She purrs, her eyes tracing over me like she's sizing me up. "Didn't think you'd show so fast."
"I don't have time to waste." I shrug, keeping my face neutral.
Kayla laughs, a low, teasing sound.
"No? You sure about that? You look like you could use a drink... or something else." She steps back, gesturing for me to come inside.
I hesitate for a second. The smart thing would be to stay right here in the doorway, make the exchange quick, and leave. But then she gives me that look, the one that used to pull me under every single time, and before I can stop myself, I'm walking inside...out of pure curiosity.
The door clicks shut behind me.
The apartment smells like incense and old cigarettes, the furniture worn and mismatched. It's too warm in here, stifling, but I keep my hands in my pockets, forcing myself to stay focused. Kayla moves to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of whiskey off the counter.
"You want some?" She asks, already pouring herself a glass.
"No." My voice comes out harsher than I mean it to, but I don't care. "I'm not staying long."
She raises an eyebrow, sipping from her glass.
"Straight to business, huh? You've changed."
I ignore the bait, eyes on the small bag sitting on the edge of the counter.
"Is that it?" I question, pointing at the mentioned bag.
"That's it. But you know how this works, Travis. Nothing's free." She follows my gaze, a slow smirk spreading across her lips. She steps closer, her voice dropping to a near whisper. "What's in it for me?"
There it is. The trap, the twist. She never gives without taking something back. I knew this was coming, but it still hits like a punch to the gut.
"I'll pay." I say, pulling out my wallet. But she shakes her head, stepping even closer, her eyes locked on mine.
"I don't want your money." Her hand brushes my arm, light but deliberate. "You know what I want."
I take a step back, the air between us thick and heavy. My mind's screaming at me to get out, but her eyes are holding me there, pulling me deeper into the quicksand.
"Kayla." I start, my voice low, warning. But she just smiles, reaching up to trace a finger along my jaw, her touch sending a shiver down my spine.
"Just one night." The woman whispers, leaning in close, her breath warm against my skin. "Like old times."
"This is not right and you know that just as well as I do." I answer eventually and after a minute of silence. "So you either take my money or you don't, that's up to you but I'm not letting you any closer to me."
I take matters into my own hands and grab the tiny bag containing the white pulver before shoving it into my pocket.
"Fine, I can wait. Apparently you returned to the drugs which means you'll eventually return to me." Kayla assumes, her voice ever so seductive. "At the latest when your little superstar finds out about your little drug problem, which you're obviously not handling as well as you said you did." She lets out a mocking chuckle.
Without another word I turn toward the door, keeping my head down as I make for the exit. Each step feels heavier than the last, but I focus on the handle, on getting out. My hand's on the doorknob when her voice cuts through the silence, sharp and bitter.
"You know you're just running in circles, right?" She says, her words hitting me like a punch in the gut. "You think this makes you better than me? It doesn't. You'll be back."
I pause, fingers tightening on the knob, my jaw clenched. For a split second, I want to turn around, throw something back at her—tell her she's wrong, that I'm not the same person I used to be. But the truth is, I don't know if that's true. Not yet, anyway. Instead, I pull the door open, stepping out into the hallway. The door slams shut behind me, her words still ringing in my ears.
I make my way back to my car as fast as possible, before pulling out and driving back to Taylor. As much as I would've needed the drugs in my system right now, I can't risk getting caught. I can't stay away any longer or the singer might get suspicious which means the Cocaine has to wait and I need to try and push the craving away until a more convenient time.
Taylor's POV:
After cleaning up the kitchen after the breakfast I didn't manage to eat, I switch on the TV for Hailey so she is occupied while I take a few minutes to check my phone. After all, I released an album last night, a double album even and I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious about my fans' reactions or any reactions in general. Getting lost on social media I don't realize the time ticking by until I glance up at the clock hanging on the wall, wondering why Travis hasn't returned from the airport.
"Mommy! Cuddles!" Hailey starts to beg, making herself more comfortable on the sofa.
"In a minute, sweetie. I have to call Travis real quick, yeah?" I answer with a slight smile, pressing a quick kiss onto her head, whereupon she nods and I continue to search for my boyfriend's contact in my phone.
It rings for an eternity and I'm about to hang up when his voice suddenly echoes through the line.
"Taylor? Everything alright?"
"Yeah...where are you tho? I'm sorry about yesterday too by the way." I mumble.
"It's okay, let's just forget about it." His voice comes out a little shaky. "I'm almost there. The traffic was crazy."
"Okay." I reply. "See you then."
After hanging up I cuddle up to my daughter and drape a blanket over the both of us. While the toddler is deeply focused on the screen in front of us I get lost in my thoughts. It still feels weird being home. It's basically the first morning back in this house but I just need everything to go back to normal already. I did my time, I got better...I guess. Now I just need to start and feel like my life's actually going back uphill, though there's no sign of that feeling just yet.
A/N: Let's see where this is going...maybe Travis isn't as much of a saint as he claims to be...
