Cinders

~39~ Corner

The room is completely silent for a minute.

Taylor finally gets up and goes over to her phone, picking it up and looking at it. I go over and stand next to him, and he shows it to me. "Guess we're gonna be getting her a new phone tomorrow."

"Any idea what's going on?" He asks me after another moment of staring at the phone in shock.

"Not a clue."

"Come on—Let's see if we can find out," he says as he walks towards the door.

I follow behind, and we both stop once we see mom with her back against the brick wall. She's bending down so her butt is inches from touching the ground, her arms hugging her knees, and her head on her arms.

Taylor walks over to her slowly, and bends down to her level when he gets to her. He puts his hand gently on her head, stroking her hair, until she looks up at him.

She's crying, and tears are streaming down her face.

Taylor doesn't say anything—He just stares hard at her, waiting for her to speak.

She sniffs and wipes some of the tears away before she says anything.

"I found out yesterday that dad and Justin have been in town for the last 4 days, and they never told me. They hung out with Jake, and then went back to California. They never came to see me," she cries as she buries her face back into her arms.

Taylor lets out a disgusted noise as he shakes his head. He sits next to her, pulling her on his lap and cradling her, rocking her back and forth until her cries turn to sniffles.

"I don't understand why they hate me so much—That was my dad on the phone. Justin told him I found out, and he called to explain."

Her cheek is on his chest and he's running his hand up and down her arm, trying to comfort her.

"How did he explain it?" He asks, fury simmering in his voice.

"He said he didn't want to bother me. The last time he stopped by I had an attitude, and he didn't want to bug me again....I can see dad doing it, but not Justin—I never see him anymore. He finally comes into town, and he doesn't even call me."

Her tears don't stop, and neither does the ache in my heart. She doesn't deserve this.

"How did you find out?" He asks, so furious his voice is actually shaking.

"They went to a ball game, and Jake snapped a selfie with them. He sent a text saying 'having a great few days without you. I would say that we miss ya, but that would be a lie.'"

She puts her cheek back on his chest and cries once more.

Taylor says nothing, but his face is terrifying—He's beyond mad.

"I'm so sorry, baby girl," he says, stroking her hair again.

She always acts so tough, and always tries to pretend that being rejected by her dad and brothers all the time doesn't bother her—But it does. It breaks her heart.

"Maybe it's my own fault—Mom left. Dad and Justin left. Jake is...well...Jake. Alex didn't want me after a while, and it's just a matter of time before you get sick of me too."

She's now crying again, and Taylor looks like he's literally feeling her pain.

"Liam doesn't have a choice—he's stuck with me for a few more years, but he'll be gone too once he doesn't need me anymore."

She has no idea that I'm standing right here; She hasn't seen me yet. I look at Taylor, and the pain in his eyes mirror my own.

"Shhhh, baby.... you're stuck with me for life—I will NEVER leave you. Do you hear me? You're the love of my life."

He shakes his head and swallows, not saying anything else. Is Taylor gonna cry?

She chuckles darkly. "You say that now, but we haven't been together that long—Everybody leaves me eventually."

"Ah, Ellie," he says in despair, tears starting to pool in his eyes. "What can I do? Want me to talk to Jake?"

"What good will that do? He's the only one that even comes around once in a while. Granted, it's mostly just to insult me or hit me, but still..."

Taylor doesn't say anything—He knows she's right. What good would talking to Jake do?

"Will you give me your dad's number, please?" He asks after a minute.

"Why?" She asks, finally sitting up. She's still on his lap, but her cheek isn't on his chest anymore.

"I'd just like to talk to him."

"No Taylor. Just stay out of this, please?"

"If you don't give it to me, I'll just get it from Alex. I'd rather you give it to me, though."

"What's your problem?" She asks, getting off of his lap and standing up.

She's officially mad.

He stands up and faces her, getting annoyed himself. "I'm not gonna keep sitting by while you get demolished by those three. I'm in your corner. I'm in your corner now, and twenty years from now. I'm not going anywhere. I love you, Ellie Jane, and so does Liam. He's not going anywhere either. He might leave for college, but he'll come back. Won't you?" He asks, looking at me for the first time.

Mom turns and sees me, her face a mixture of surprised and embarrassed.

"You're stuck with me forever too, momma," I say, smiling gently at her.

"And I'm gonna speak for Alex right now too. He loves you—He's loved you his whole life. He hasn't left. You're his world; His best friend. So your mom left? That sucks, but that's on her—It had NOTHING to do with you....And those three are miserable excuses for people. Don't let them make you forget how many people love you, and are here for you, Ellie Jane."

He cups his hand around her cheek and bends down, speaking to her all mushy.

"Lastly, I don't EVER want to hear you say that I'm gonna leave you again, Eleanor. I'm so completely in love you, that the thought of not being with you makes me physically sick."

He kisses her so passionately, that I have to look away—Otherwise I might just see a sibling get conceived.

"Can I please have your dad's number now?" He asks once he pulls away.

"I can't give it to you—I think I smashed my phone and I don't have it memorized."

"You did smash your phone. We're gonna go tomorrow morning and replace it. I'll just get the number from Alex, then. I don't wanna wait 'till tomorrow to call him," he says, getting out his phone and texting dad

"Taylor Reed Preston, do NOT make this worse for me."

Taylor smirks as he kisses her forehead. "I'll never make things worse for you. Didn't you hear? I'm always in your corner."