Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Taylor
S tanding in the shadows backstage, trying to stay invisible, I watched the chaos of the stage crew working to get everything ready for tonight's show.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I felt completely out of my element. My job was to babysit Cole. Make sure he showed up on time and sober to all his shows. Thankfully, he'd done it for me this time, and so far, he'd stayed sober.
Last night, I agreed to stay out of his way, and so far, I was keeping my end of the deal.
A deep voice cut through the backstage noise. "Hey. You must be new." I turned, taking in the tall figure before me.
"Yeah, I'm Taylor."
"I'm Jacob, the stage manager." He extended a hand, his firm handshake matching my tentative smile. He was tall with dirty blonde hair and dark brown eyes, and he looked like he had no problem lifting the heavy equipment. "Are you with the band?"
"No, I'm..."
Cole brushed past, his shoulder bumping mine. He threw a cold glance over his shoulder. "Watch that one, man. She'll fuck your brother while she's still fucking you."
Fuck... I squeezed my eyes closed. This morning, Cole was gone when I woke up, and I knew he hadn't forgiven me, but I'd hoped we could at least be civil to each other. Obviously, that wasn't the case. My eyes eased open, and I forced an awkward smile. Now, the rumors would run rampant.
Jacob's face tightened with suspicion. "I guess you two know each other." He threw a thumb over his shoulder in the direction Cole disappeared.
"Yep," I said, popping the P. My mind raced with how to possibly explain that comment, but there was no explanation. It wasn't the truth, but in Cole's mind, it was, and unless he let me tell him the actual truth, that's how it would always be.
Jacob's brown eyes darted away from mine, his long fingers drumming an uneven rhythm on his clipboard. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, desperately searching for something to say to break the suffocating silence. The awkwardness lingering between us was suddenly very present.
Jacob's eyebrows rose, curiosity evident. "Is there a story behind that?"
"Don't you have something better to do, Jake?" Kylie appeared suddenly, arms crossed and eyes narrowed at Jacob.
"Uh..." Jacob and I both froze, our eyes drawn to the newcomer. A blonde in tight white jeans and a crop top stood with her hands on her hips.
She jutted her chin toward Jacob. "Get lost."
Forcing a smile, he nodded before walking away.
"Thanks."
She tilted her head, a sympathetic smile playing on her lips. "Are you okay?"
I nodded, though I honestly wasn't sure I was. I also knew I had no room to complain. I'd done this to myself.
"A man will only treat you the way you allow him to treat you," Kylie said, staring forward. "Don't let him treat you like that." She flicked a sideways glance at me.
"It's okay." I shrugged, my gaze dropping to the floor. "I deserve it."
Kylie pivoted to face me, her expression softening. "No, you don't, Taylor." She stepped closer, her voice lowering to a concerned whisper. "Even if you had actually done what he thinks you did. No one deserves to be talked to like that. Stand up for yourself."
Swallowing hard, I nodded.
"You should tell him the truth."
I threw my hands up in frustration. "What makes you think the truth will change anything or that he'd even believe me at this point?" My arms fell limply to my sides as I shrugged. "It's been two years, and now, after his brother dies, I'm suddenly ready to tell him the truth."
"Did you give him Caleb's letter?" Kylie's intense gaze bored into me. I averted my eyes, shaking my head. "Do you know what the letter says?" I bit my lip, guilt gnawing at my insides.
"No, but I asked Caleb not to tell him the truth."
"Why?"
Blowing out a heavy sigh, I shook my head. "I don't know." My gaze met hers. "At first, I thought he should hear it from me, and then after the drama with his parents, I didn't want anyone to know what I had done. It felt wrong."
"Drama with his parents?"
"It's a long story for another time."
Her forehead pinched with concern, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Did you know he was trying to tell Cole the truth?"
I felt the color drain from my face. My head moved side to side, almost of its own accord. "No."
She leaned in closer, her eyes searching mine. "Did you know he told me the truth?"
I blinked rapidly, trying to process the information. My fingers fidgeted with the hem of my shirt. "No, I didn't even know you were at the house." A realization dawned on me. "I'm guessing Bailey snuck you over."
"Don't be mad at her."
"What? No, I'm not mad. I'm actually glad he came clean with you."
Kylie gripped my shoulders, her gaze intense. "Look, I can't make you tell him, and I can't say for sure that he would understand if you did." She gave me a gentle shake. "But don't let him talk to you like that. You do not deserve it."
My eyes drifted to the luggage behind Kylie. "Are you leaving?" Kylie nodded, her hand resting on the handle of her suitcase.
"Yeah, I'm going back to Bridgewater with River, and I hope I'll see you home in two weeks..." Her gaze flickered towards the stage. "...with Cole."
I crossed my arms, a wry smile playing on my lips. "I think you all underestimated what he would do for River."
"I hope so." Kylie's voice dropped to a whisper. "But honestly, I think unless you two both come clean..." She trailed off, her eyes tracking Cole as he strolled onto the stage. After a moment, she turned back to me, her expression grave. "He's never going to change."
I blinked rapidly as I tried to process Kylie's words. “What do you mean?” I tilted my head slightly.
Her gaze shifted back to mine. "How he really feels about you to start."
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. I ran a hand through my hair, tugging slightly at the ends. "Trust me, he's been real clear about that."
Kylie's eyes flashed with intensity. "No." She shook her head emphatically, her blonde hair swishing with the movement. "Hate that strong comes from something a hell of a lot deeper." She leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. "And unless he comes clean and tells you how bad you hurt him and that he's still in love with you, nothing will ever change."
My eyes widened as my gaze flashed out to Cole on the stage. She was wrong. Cole wasn't still in love with me, but maybe she was right about one thing. Maybe he did need to tell me how bad I hurt him. I just wasn't sure he was ready yet. "Maybe," I muttered.
Kylie glanced at her watch, her eyes widening slightly. "I have to go." She hefted her designer luggage, the wheels clicking against the floor. "My plane leaves in a few hours."
I chewed my lip, hesitating, before adding, "Have a safe trip, and... Do me a favor?" Kylie quirked an eyebrow, waiting. "Check on Bailey and make sure she's not running the bar into the ground."
A smile spread across Kylie's face as she nodded. "Sure." Her expression softened, and she squeezed my arm gently. "And call me if you need to talk. This probably isn't going to be the easiest two weeks."
Blowing out a heavy sigh, I shrugged. "Nothing about my life has been easy since I made that deal with Caleb."