Camgirl | tayley ✓

twenty-one

Hayley and Taylor sat hand-in-hand in the front seats of his expensive car.

"We don't need to do this," Hayley said, holding her boyfriend's hand just a little bit tighter.

She was referring to how they were parked in the driveway of Taylor's parents' home. Taylor needed to speak to his father. If he didn't, he feared things would become worse. There would be more awkward tension between them if things were not discussed. Taylor feared that eventually, they'd be at the point of never speaking. And Taylor couldn't live with that being a possibility.

"I want to. I need to. What if I don't? He could fire me. He could remove my rights of using credit cards paid for by him. I'm sure that I just sound like a spoiled white boy right now, which is true too. But above all, he's my dad, Hayley. He's been someone I've depended on and loved for twenty-two years of my life. I know that things are different for your family because you aren't close with your parents, but I love mine. I mean, I'm sure you love yours, but, you know..."

Though she could not relate to most of what he was saying about having such a deep appreciation for family, she understood that he loved his parents. He loved his family and didn't want to live his life without even one member of it.

"They know I'm coming. They probably know I'm here. At this point, it may only cause more issues if I don't go through with this."

"What are you going to say to them?" Hayley asked, still holding his hand tight.

Taylor shrugged and let out a sigh. He hadn't planned any of what was going to be said. Similarly to when he and Hayley first met, he was going in with nothing planned and was hoping for the very best.

Without another word, Taylor exited his vehicle. Hayley joined him in walking to the front door of his childhood home.

Exactly four seconds after knocking on the door — yes, Taylor was counting — it swung open.

"Taylor, Hayley, hello," Mrs. York said to her son and his significant other. She made sure to act as if she hadn't recently been exposed to the truth about Hayley's past. She acted as if she did not know that Taylor was planning to speak to his father, which would likely result in a loud and long argument. It was unknown whether or not the argument would ultimately result in a resolution of the issue or the destruction of the family.

The couple entered the house. Just as the first time she saw the extravagant home, Hayley could not believe anyone even lived there. The structure looked more like a castle than it did a household.

Especially not one that was a home to only two individuals.

He walked further into the house, soon finding his father sitting on one of the couches of their living room. His folded hands sat in his lap, eyes focused on a blank spot of the wall ahead of him.

"Hey, dad," Taylor said nervously in order to receive his father's attention.

The older male did not bother with even faking a smile. Instead, he looked up at his son and then back at the wall. Such a negative attitude was expected.

Hayley and Taylor took a seat on the other couch of the room. Mrs. York joined her husband.

Nobody said anything. What was there to say?

Hayley wanted to be a good girlfriend and break the silence. In a poor attempt, she joked, "Long time no see, huh?" A fake laugh joined her words.

Hilarious.

As her laughter died out, Taylor knew it was time for him to talk.

"Look, dad, I love you, even with the things you said. I hope you intended on acting rude only to persuade the jury to choose Josh's side. But you need to understand that I'm upset that you defended him. He's someone who attacked me. He could have killed me. I'm sure, if given the chance, he would have. You wouldn't just lose an employee, you'd lose your son."

As he spoke that final sentence, Taylor realized that him and his father's problems not resolving would likely result in just that. First his dad would lose him as an employee. And then, the longer they went without speaking, the less they'd feel like father and son.

He'd be losing his son anyway.

"It was business, Taylor. You need to understand that. Especially if you hope to be an attorney in the future — especially considering you plan on being a criminal defense attorney. Sometimes, you need to go against your own morals. I knew he was guilty. I knew he had hurt you. I'm good at knowing when my clients are lying to me, but Josh told me that he was guilty. He didn't lie to me. I went against my own morals, which were telling me to refuse to represent him. That's why I defended him."

"I understand that, dad. But I would never defend someone who hurt someone I love," Taylor argued. "If someone hurt Justin, Hayley, my friends, mom, or even you, I would not defend them. Why did you defend him? Do you not love me?"

He knew his father loved him, he knew that claiming he didn't was a stretch. But he wanted — no — he needed his father to understand that he wasn't going to forgive him easily.

"And why were you so rude to Hayley throughout the entire thing? Do you hate her? We're a package deal now, dad. If you hate her, you must hate me."

His father sighed and lifted a hand to scratch at his forehead.

"I barely know her, Taylor. We met once, excluding the times in court, if I'm not mistaken. How do you expect me to look at her like nothing is wrong when she has a past like that?"

Of course. Bringing up her past, exactly what Taylor expected him to do. Instead of staying quiet about it and understanding that she no longer did that, that there were reasons for her actions, the older individual continued to remind the couple.

Both of the females in the room sat beside their male partners uncomfortably.

"Because, like you just said, it's her past. It's not what she does anymore. It's not who she is. Not anymore, at least. Besides, she wasn't hurting anyone in doing it. She was making a good living. What would you prefer? For her to be a hitman? Live on the streets? I don't think so."

A silence filled the room. Taylor spoke again.

"I'll go find a new job, I guess. It doesn't matter, obviously fixing our relationship isn't important to you. Let's go, Hayles," he said and made a move to stand up.

But the older man stood up, raised both hands, and requested, "Please, don't go."

In reality, that was the response Taylor was looking for. He wanted to guilt his father into assisting him in fixing things.

"Why?" Taylor soon asked.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, to both of you. I love you, T. And Hayley...well, we never really properly met one another. I'm sorry for that and for my actions. Let's start anew. If Taylor loves you, then I need to stop acting this way."

Taylor stood up, walked over to his dad, and brought him in for a tight and loving embrace.

They spoke a bit more, and twenty minutes later Hayley and Taylor were heading home.

Taylor was grinning like an idiot. Hayley was nervously staring out her window, holding her boyfriend's hand tightly.

"Is everything okay?" Taylor asked her when they pulled up to a red light.

She faked a smile and insisted, "I'm fine."

She was far from fine. There was something she needed to tell Taylor. And she needed to tell him soon. Unfortunately, there was no casual way of telling him.

Once they were back in their apartment, waiting for the popcorn that they had placed in the microwave to be ready, Hayley decided it was time. Not the most romantic of times to do it, but she needed to get it over with.

"Can you sit down for a minute?" Hayley asked her boyfriend, tapping the seat next to her twice. He did as asked.

"I'm pregnant."