Teenage Runaway

Chapter 22

"Taylor, wake up," Liam said, "I'm going to the airport to pick up your mom. Bentley is already in the car, you need to get ready for work." Liam said, holding himself back from putting air quotes as he mentioned work, still not believing she was really scheduled. "Lou hates tardiness, trust me."

"You're not taking Bentley with you," Taylor mumbled into her pillow, half asleep. 

"You can't take him to work," Liam argued.

"Tom brings Lux in to visit Lou all the time, and Bentley needs a haircut, anyway." 

"You've been cutting his hair in your bathroom for two years. I am taking him with me."

"He may call you 'dad', but you are not his father so you don't get to make that choice," Taylor said, throwing the duvet off of her to go retrieve her son. "He's coming with me," She said as Liam closely followed her down the stairs.

"Mommy, I going on a car ride!" Bentley happily exclaimed from his carseat in Liam's black Escalade. 

"Not anymore, honey." Taylor said, unbuckling Bentley. "We're going to get your hair cut."

"No!!" Bentley screamed, his face twisting at the very mention of a haircut.

"You can play with Lux," Taylor bribed.

"I wanna play with Lux!" The toddler cheered, virtually agreeing with his mother.

"Have fun picking up the wench," Taylor told Liam as Bentley hopped down from the SUV. "If they even let her past security."

*********

"Taylor! What are you doing here? I haven't even put you on the schedule yet!" Lou said, putting curlers in a womans' hair as Taylor approached her, Bentley holding her hand.

"Liam has invited my mother to practically move in with us."

"Ooh, sorry about that," Lou said with a frown. "Louis was telling me all about Florida at Sam's wedding."

"I just didn't want to be there to welcome her into our home after she kicked me out of hers."

"Oh, trust me, I understand. But, unfortunately, we're pretty slow today. I don't have much for you to do, but you can stay if you want."

"Thank you. Bentley needs a haircut, do you mind if I take an empty station?"

"Be my guest." Lou said as she sent her client over to the head driers. "Hey, when I'm done with her do you want to go get lunch? I can have Tom and Lux meet us there. I know this great pub in East London."

"That would be great!" Taylor said as she cut Bentley's floppy locks. "The only reason I got him here is because I told him that Lux would be here."

"Is Lux your girlfriend? Do you have a crush on her?" Lou asked Bentley.