Long Distance Call | tayley ✓

31 | Surprise Visitor

[Taylor]

I truly can't believe my eyes. I don't know what she's doing here. It makes sense, sort of. Now it makes sense that she wanted my address. Maybe I shouldn't have given her it. That wasn't very smart.

"What are you doing here?" I whisper, taking a step forward. I almost pull the door closed, but leave it just barely open.

"I came here to surprise you," she says with a cheeky grin. I can't do this. I don't want her here. Especially not with Hayley here as well. I definitely do not need this right now.

"Can I come inside?" she asks, but I don't seem to have much of a choice. By the time she asks, she's already stepping towards the door, palm flat against it. I just nod.

Why did I say yes? Shit. I don't need this. I definitely do not need this. Hayley is just a room away, fast asleep. But what if she wakes up?

Okay, Taylor, don't think about that. She's sleeping, she won't wake up. Okay, okay. And it won't be a big deal if she does wake up. It's okay, it's okay.

I re-enter my apartment, my ex-girlfriend trailing just feet behind me. We both take a seat on my couch. It's awkward. Imagine sitting in the same room, inches away from a girl that you used to fuck. And then dumped. Even with how terribly awkward I currently feel, Baylie is acting as though she has zero recollection of our harsh past. I wish I had that kind of inner peace.

"Baylie, I don't get it. What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I told you, I wanted to surprise you."

"No, I get that. But why?" She sighs after I ask. I need an answer.

"Because, Taylor, I missed you. Ever think about that? I've been in a few relationships since you and I had separated, and nobody makes me feel as complete as you did. You satisfied me in every way possible. You made me feel cared for. You were so special to me." Her hand rises as she speaks. Her soft fingertips brush along my jaw. For some reason, I can't do anything. It's like I'm paralyzed, I can't work up the nerve to even move her hand from my face.

She scoots closer to me. And still, I remain motionless. While I'm mentally screaming at myself, telling myself that I need to move, my limbs disagree. They aren't too fond of the idea of moving in any way. So I just sit there as her lips come closer to mine.

Her lips meet mine, but it takes a moment to truly process what the hell is going on. It's weird, not a good weird, though. I don't know how to explain how I feel. I don't like it, but that's more of because I know what has happened in the past with Baylie.

To put it simply, it's like a drug. That sounds cheesy, yes, I know. As terrible as I know she is for me, something about having her right here with me is comforting. I know she's killing me, but I'm also sort of okay with that.

She's worse than the cigarettes I had given up long ago. Just like those, I knew that I had to give her up in order to truly reach my goals. Both weighed me down for such a long time. As much as I miss them, I know it's best. But she's so much worse than any cigarette ever could be, because at least I had the knowledge of the fact that it was highly likely for me to be addicted, and that they would be killing me inside. When it came to this girl, though, there was no warning. There was nobody telling me to watch out for the side effects.

I had no clue that she had been killing me more and more with each hit. I had no clue that she was hurting me, even when I thought she was helping me. I had always thought that she was helping me, only until the first time she had hit me. I know, I should have left her the second that happened. And yes, I know, some people laugh when they hear about men being victims of abuse. But it was then that I realized she was what was killing me.

Suddenly, after who knows how long, probably just a few seconds, I'm pulled from my deep train of thought. My brain and limbs begin working as a team once again, and I pull away from her. She looks lost, lips parted and eyes wide.

"Baylie, you...you have to go," I express, unable to even look her in the eyes. Her hand moves to rest on my thigh. Oh god, no, no.

"Come on, Taylor," she coos. All I do is shake my head. I can't. I can't. First of all, Hayley is literally in the next room. Second of all, Hayley is my girlfriend. Why would I ever hurt her like that?

"No. I've told you. I have a girlfriend. I...I don't want to hurt her."

"Well, you certainly seemed into me less than a minute ago," she speaks, rubbing my thigh. I shift my entire body and remove her hand from my leg.

"Baylie, I..." I stutter out. While speaking, I notice myself raising my voice. I definitely do not want Hayley to wake. Right now would be a terrible time for her to wake up. "I wasn't thinking. Please, just leave, okay? I don't want to argue about this. This is my apartment, and I don't want you here." The instant my words leave me, I feel as if I'm being a tad bit too harsh. Maybe I am, but maybe she needs to hear it.

A sad expression takes over her features. Come on, I think to myself. This is completely unnecessary. She shrugs her shoulders, stands, and keeps her head down. Only after I repeat her name does she look up to meet my gaze.

"You don't like me?" she asks with a pout. Here we go again.

"Baylie, that's not.." I begin, only to be cut off.

"You don't think I'm beautiful?" Oh, here she goes. Trying to make me feel guilty. I'm not that dumb. What do I say to get myself out of this one?

"I didn't say that. I just don't want to ruin what I have with my girlfriend." Well, I'm not lying.

She simply glares at me, grinds her teeth, and grumbles something incoherent. She must have thought that her making me feel guilty would have changed my mind and caused me to sleep with her.

But I'm not that dumb, I know what she's here for. She's here to get with me, to use me for my money and my future fame. Even if I don't turn out to be super well-known, I'm sure that she'll take whatever she can get until she finds someone else. See, she's trying to make it as a singer. Quite frankly, I don't find her to be the best of vocalists. She's trying to get her name out there, and her being in a relationship with someone even a little bit well-known will only help her case.

I refuse to fall for her tricks.

But I don't want to waste a second more thinking about that gold-digger. And I don't want to waste a second more with my arms not wrapped around Hayley, falling asleep with her body close to mine.

I return to my bedroom, slip my arms around Hayley as much as I can without being uncomfortable, and allow myself to slowly drift off into a deep sleep.