Page 134 of Wild Thing
Taylor was there already. She looked beautiful, wearing a shiny, gold halter neck dress, her light blonde hair swept upwards in a dramatic updo.
“Holy shit, that dress Dylan-” she began, her eyes wide.
I cut her off. “Yeah, yeah, it’s a hit, come in here.”
I grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into the booth, yanking the curtain shut behind us.
Sensing my terror, Taylor studied me for a second before realizing something was very, very wrong.
My hands shook slightly as I tried to center myself, but my effort was futile.
Taylor’s playful demeanor faded in an instant. “Dylan,” she said softly. “What’s going on?”
I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat refusing to budge.
“Dylan,” she repeated, her tone firmer. “Talk to me.”
I exhaled a long breath. “He’s engaged.”
Taylor blinked, confused. “What?”
“Brax.”
“What?!” she shouted, her reaction sharp and immediate.
“Ssshh!” I hissed.
“Engaged?!” she repeated, albeit quieter.
“Yes,” I said, my voice cracking. “And she’sfucking here.”
She didn’t need me to explain further. The heartbreak was written all over my face.
Taylor pulled me into her arms. “Shh…” she murmured, hugging me tightly.
My breathing grew shallow and erratic as I fought back the tears. I was trembling uncontrollably, despite my best efforts to stay composed.
“It’s okay, Dyl,” Taylor whispered into my hair, her voice soothing. “Just breathe.”
“I can’t… I can’t…”
The words stumbled out, raw and panicked. My chest felt like it was being crushed underneath iron.
“Yes, you can. Look at me,” she urged, pulling back just enough to lock eyes with me. “Breathe, babe. You need to breathe.”
I let out a shuddering breath, my chest cracking wide open.
“Do you want to leave?”
“Maybe,” I said, nodding my head slowly. “Can you come with me?”
Taylor’s brow furrowed. “Listen, I can't straight away. But as soon as the mains are over, I’ll come and get you. We’ll smoke bomb the hell out of here. Okay?”
I nodded numbly, barely registering anything Taylor said.
“Okay,” I whispered, sniffling.
“Dylan,” Taylor said firmly, grabbing my face with both hands. “You’re strong. We’ll plot his death tomorrow, okay?”
