“I love Vickie and her siblings like they’re my own. Anyone who hurts them goes on my shit list. That’s an automatic.” I stop my pacing and face her.
“I understand. I’m glad she has someone like you. You should know that I love her, and I’m doing everything in my power to get her back.” It’s the truth and I’ll keep saying it until everyone believes me.
“Mmhmm, good luck with that.” Her phone rings and she turns away, leaving me alone. Evan and Vickie return about an hour later with Evan still chatting nonstop and making plans that include Vickie. In his mind, we’re going to pick up right where we left off, and he’s right. There are no other options.
While she ignores me from across the room, I text her.
Me: I love you
I add a string of hearts.
Me: I’ve missed you so much
Me: I hate that you’re so close to me but feel so far away
Me: I’m sorry for hurting you. I’ll never do that again.
While Evan talks, she pulls out her phone. She reads the texts and puts the phone away. She doesn’t look up at me or respond.
Two hours later, the rest of her family finally arrive. She runs into her stepmother’s arms, and her father wraps his arms around them. Tara and Alan join in, and the family holds each other.
Dr. A-hole returns and gives an update.
“She’s doing better, but her blood pressure is still higher than we’d like. We’re going to keep her in the ICU tonight, but she should be in a regular room by tomorrow. I’m going to ask that she only have a couple more visitors today.” Alan and Tara decide to go, but they can only go one at a time for a few minutes. Alan goes first.
Tara drags Vickie into a corner, and they talk in hushed voices. I step closer, doing my best to hear them, but Vickie pulls Tara out of the waiting room. Once outside, Tara grabs Vickie’s face and Vickie says something I can’t make out. Tara takes her in a hug. Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s not about their mother. There’s a look in Vickie’s eyes that wasn’t there before. She’s afraid, but there’s more than that.
“Did you know Vickie was coming back to the U.S.?” I ask Ethan.
“No one knew.”
“Something’s going on with her.” I watch through the glass as the sisters hug. Alan returns and Tara goes. She comes back ten minutes later.
The family decides to go home since Alicia is not allowed any more visitors tonight. Tara invites everyone to dinner at her penthouse, and I tag along so the boys can see each other, but when I get there, Tara and Vickie are gone.
Me: Where are you, Queen Vee?
I get no response, but I know she’s read the message.
“Where’s your sister?” I ask Alan, but he shrugs and walks away, which is unlike him.
“You want to come watch some practices?” I make sure to ask loud enough for his father to hear. They look at each other, and I can tell they are wavering. “What? We can’t be friends anymore?” I ask when they don’t answer.
“You upset my daughter,” John says. “Ask Bradford what happened last time someone upset one of my kids.”
Ethan smirks. “He punched me in the eye.”
“Look, I love Victoria. More than I’ve ever loved anyone, and I messed up. I pushed her away, but I’m never going to give up on her or us. Come on, Taylors.” I put an arm around John and Alan’s shoulders. “I love you guys too.”
Cheryl approaches and gently pats my face. She smiles sweetly, and I know I’ve got at least one Taylor in my corner. “Talk to him, John,” Cheryl says. “Make him understand.” John eyes me, but he does what his wife says. He gestures for me to follow him into Ethan’s office. Once I get there, I close the door behind us.
“What you did? The way you left, that was the worst thing you can do to someone who already has abandonment issues. I don’t know if Vickie told you anything about her mother, but Alicia left us. Just left while the kids were in school, and I was at work. They were devastated. She was a good mom until then. Vickie has never quite healed from that. She puts everyone but me, her siblings, and Cheryl at arm’s length, but she let you in.”
“And then I abandoned her.” I sit in a chair and hang my head.
“Look, I know you were dealing with a lot. Losing a championship and getting injured, but all you had to do was let her be there for you. You promised her this amazing summer, and you took off and left her here. She took that as a rejection. She’s done everything in her life not to be rejected by another person. She only trusts a few people, and she let her guard down with you. It’s going to take work on your part, Colt. She’s got her walls up ten miles high.”
Those words stay with me while I wait for her to return. She comes into the apartment an hour later, looking downright frantic. She runs away from me before I can get to her.
