Hate is a strong word, but I still hate you.

Chapter seven, Wyatt

*Taylor's POV*

   We were going out. For lunch in fact.
   It was a small restaurant that only had three other customers. She dragged me to a booth right in the corner and I sat down.
   Rayne folded her arms and glared at me.
   "What?" I asked, confused.
   "That's my spot." She frowned.
   "Don't frown it makes you look ugly. And besides, it's not like this spot has your name on it." I said, getting a little irritated.
   "Actually," she pointed to a delicate carving in the corner of the table. "It does." I sighed and moved to the other side of the table. "Thank you." She sat down and grimaced.
   "What?" I asked.
   "Thirty seconds you were sat here and the chair is warm." She laughed.
   "Most people would love to sit in a chair I made warm." Rayne laughed more. "Why's your name carved into the table anyways?"
   "I'm not most people. And when I was like seven we moved here. This was my favourite place then when I was ten we moved back." She put her feet up on the chair and I frowned.
   "Don't frown it makes you look ugly." She mumbled, laughing.
   There was a deep cough and we both looked up. A waiter was stood there.
   "Fat Boy?" She asked. I shot her a look clearly saying 'that's rude' but the waiter wasn't offended. He dropped his notebook and Rayne jumped into his arms.
   "Care bear?" He whispered. I heard Rayne crying.
   "Rayne, who's this?" I asked.
   "This is my ex." She looked at me and smugly planted a quick kiss on his cheek. I was surprised. Obviously. He held out his hand and I shook it.
   "I'm her stepbrother, Wyatt." He looked at Rayne and she flushed red. "You're in England, why?"
   "Taylor dragged me along with her because of interviews and shhhtuff."
   "Shhhtuff? So you weren't going to swear? And Taylor? Like Taylor Swift Taylor?"
   "The one and only." I piped up, sarcastically flicking my hair.
   "Wow Care bear, hit the jackpot." She laughed but then began to cry.
"No, Mom died and it turns out that Taylor is my biological mother." Wyatt dropped into an empty bit of booth and hugged Rayne.
   A big rude man came over and barked at Wyatt, he quickly took our orders and hurried off.
   He came back and Rayne picked at her meal. I wasn't up for talking, when Rayne had said 'mom' but wasn't referring to me it hurt, so we, well I did, ate in silence.
   Our dinner had been ruined. Just before we left Wyatt slipped Rayne his mobile number and he quickly departed.

   *one day and two extremely dull interviews later*

   We were sat on the flight home. Rayne was messaging her stepbrother, she was always with him. When we left it was such a relief.
   I lift up one half of my shirt and looked at the bruising all over my stomach.
   "At least it's purple." I looked at Rayne and thrust my shirt down. "It is your favourite colour, isn't it?"
   "What? Oh, yeah." Rayne began to cry. "What? Is it me?" I asked.
   "No. It's just my brain." She turned away and and put her phone in her pocket.
   "When we get back would you like medical help?" I asked, living with her was so difficult. I didn't want her to have to live with the burden of it all alone.
   "I don't want to have to rely on drugs, I've managed so far haven't I?" She dried her eyes angrily and fell asleep. Okay.
   I couldn't stop thinking about Wyatt as I fell asleep. The mucky blonde colour to his slightly grown out hair. The contours of his muscles that you could see under his shirt. How appealing he looked in his uniform.
   When I dozed off he was in my dreams. It was just him and me in the restaurant, talking.

*Rayne's POV*

   Taylor was so turned on by Wyatt, I could tell. It was actually pretty gross.
   She slept most of the flight home. When the plane was about to land she woke up and we followed the protocol of the airport.
   Once we were 'home' I went straight to bed only to be woken by nightmares of drugs and Taylor marrying Wyatt. They had children too.
   I woke up screaming. Taylor was by my side in seconds. I told her about the drugs part of the dream and missed out the rest.
   "They were talking to me, saying I depended on them. Saying my addiction would overtake me."
   "I would never let that happen." Taylor whispered. She curled up around me and that's how we slept, every night, until he arrived. I love him, but I never saw him as a fatherly figure in my life.
   I opened my eyes and waited for Taylor to wake up. When she did I got up and had a bath. I let the warm water soak my skin and after I scrubbed my skin I dried my hands on a nearby towel, grabbing the book that was waiting for me.
   I knew I spent around two hours in the bath but I didn't care. When I did get out I dried myself off and pulled on a clean outfit. Jeans and a plain black, long sleeved shirt.
   When I went into the kitchen Taylor was sat there running her fingers through her hair. When she heard me her head snapped up.
   "Where were you?" She asked.
   "I was in the bath."
   "For two hours?" I nodded and grabbed one of the protein shakes. I sipped it then ran upstairs to grab my mobile. I came downstairs and sat in the front room whilst I messaged Katy.
   What's Shannon's address?
   Why?
   Got back last night, was gonna surprise you.
   OMG. I'll come and pick you up. C U in 10