* Warning: Abuse issues, not graphic, but addressed.
Chapter 25 Taylor's Confession
Sophie is sitting silently on the other side of the fire. Taylor still hasn't moved from her one spot.
"Why aren't you telling me to go to bed?" Taylor throws a leaf into the fire.
"Because I know you need to talk." Sophie says watching Taylor.
"Why does everyone assume that I have something to talk about?"
"You wouldn't be here if there wasn't something going on." Sophie gets up and moves to the same bench as Taylor, just at the opposite end. "Please let me look at your knee."
"I'm fine." Taylor is surprised at this action.
"Then let me look." Taylor gives in and pulls up her pant leg. She reveals a bruised and swollen knee. "What happened?"
"I fell." Taylor lies. She really got it in a fight with a Ridge Runner a few days ago. They called each other out. Only a few people knew about the fight. The Ridge Runner was a dirty fighter. She had taken a rock while Taylor was down and smashed it against her knee. As dirty as the Ridge Runner was, Taylor was dirtier and had won, hurt and all.
Silence
"Must've been hard growing up with a father like yours? I mean, my mother was tough, but I'm glad I didn't have your father." Sophie breaks the silence trying to dig into Taylor's thoughts.
"What was your mother like?" Sophie had grabbed Taylor's interests.
"Controlling. Wanted me to be the perfect daughter. I did everything opposite. How about your parents? What were they like?"
"I never knew my biological mother. My father told me that she was a teenage prostitute and she had dropped me off at their front door. The good Senator never wanted me. He had given my biological mother money to get an abortion. She couldn't go through with it. God I wish she had." Taylor looks surprised at what she just told. She had been holding everything in for so long, that it just came spilling out. Who was this woman that she decided to confide in. Taylor pauses and looks into Sophie's caring and concerned eyes.
"Go on." Sophie encourages.
"A few days after she gave birth to me, she left me on the doorstep to his mansion. His first wife found me and brought me inside. After DNA testing, she forced him to keep me. She left him when I was four. A year later I was sent to my first boarding school." Taylor gets tears in her eyes. "I was sent to a boarding school in a different country at the age of five. I never came home. He never came to visit. I spent holidays and summers with. . ." Taylor hesitates and then goes on. "Grant."
Silence
"How did he hurt you?" Sophie moves a little closer to Taylor. Taylor does not notice.
"What makes you think he hurt me?" Taylor refuses to look to look at Sophie. She just stares longer into the fire.
"Because every time you've gotten angry and in fighting mode, his name comes out of your mouth. You've called Peter Grant while he was holding you. When you and Scott were fighting, you called him Grant as well. Finally, when Grant was at the hospital, you flipped."
"So you automatically think that he did something to me." Taylor gets defensive.
"Tell me he didn't." Sophie bold tone throws Taylor off a little.
Silence
"Even if I did talk, he won't get in trouble."
"And why not?"
"Because I initiated it." Rage fills Taylor's voice. "I started it. I asked for it." Taylor starts to get upset and angry thinking about what is happening. Her body begins to tense up and she squeezes her fists.
"Whatever happened was not your fault." Sophie replies in a calm voice.
"I kissed him first. I was twelve and he was twenty-two. I was curious and he was the only man I had been around. My father hired him when I was little and I became attracted to him. That was all I wanted to do, just a kiss. . .but. . ."
"But what?"
"One summer he took it further. I remember I couldn't sleep and was very thirsty. I got up and went to the fridge."
Pause as Taylor remembers
"I was only wearing a t-shirt."
Pause
"I didn't see him behind me. I didn't know he was there until he put his hand on my shoulder."
Pause
"I dropped the glass. I will never forget that sound of shattering glass."
Pause
"He pulled him against him."
Pause
"He was naked and I could feel him against me. He covered my mouth and whispered 'don't scream or this will happen to someone else.' I swallowed my cries as he pulled him into another room." Taylor holds back the tears now threatening to fall. "He had his friends spending the night and I had one of my friends staying over as well."
Pause
"He then threw me on the bed, smiling the whole time. 'I know you want this.' He says as he begins to remove my t-shirt. 'I remember that kiss we shared.'"
Pause
"I didn't want it. I wanted to scream for help, but I was afraid. I didn't want anyone else to get hurt." Taylor stops and begins to shake.
"Go on." Sophie moves closer to her, tears forming in her eyes.
"Then I saw something out of the corner of my eye and thought someone had heard the glass shatter. I felt a little relieved that I was going to be saved. Except it wasn't someone there to help. They were there to join in. The whole summer, he would have all of his friends over male and . . . and female."
Taylor stops and turns her back to Sophie. She pulls her legs up to her chest and begins to sob. Sophie puts a hand on Taylor's shoulder and Taylor shakes it off.
"I'm not gay." She becomes instantly defensive and angry. Sophie pulls her hand from Taylor. "He told me that if I told anyone about what was going on, that no one would believe me or they would look at me as if I were a freak."
"No your not, they took advantage of a young girl. They are the one's that should pay." Sophie tries to look into Taylor's eyes, but Taylor refuses to look at her. How long did this go on?"
"For over a year and I said nothing. I kept my promise and said nothing."
"So you ran away."
"Yeah." Taylor pauses and decides not to go into anymore details. "I figured the streets couldn't be as bad."
"The scares on your back? What are they from?"
"Punishment, if I didn't do what they wanted."
Taylor buries her head in her knees and begins to cry. Sophie dares not to put a hand on her for fear of what would happen pulls up her knees and begins to cry. Sophie comforts her and Taylor allows for this. Taylor sobs in Sophie's arms. Sophie is crying as well.
"If you tell Child Protective Services I'll run." Taylor gets a stone hard cold look on her face.
"We can't let him stay out there."
"If you call, I'll tell them I lied to you."
"Taylor."
"Sophie, I mean it. If you tell anyone, including Peter, I'm outta here. ."
Sophie looks into Taylor's dark stone cold eyes.
*********
Chapter 25 Taylor's Confession
Sophie is sitting silently on the other side of the fire. Taylor still hasn't moved from her one spot.
"Why aren't you telling me to go to bed?" Taylor throws a leaf into the fire.
"Because I know you need to talk." Sophie says watching Taylor.
"Why does everyone assume that I have something to talk about?"
"You wouldn't be here if there wasn't something going on." Sophie gets up and moves to the same bench as Taylor, just at the opposite end. "Please let me look at your knee."
"I'm fine." Taylor is surprised at this action.
"Then let me look." Taylor gives in and pulls up her pant leg. She reveals a bruised and swollen knee. "What happened?"
"I fell." Taylor lies. She really got it in a fight with a Ridge Runner a few days ago. They called each other out. Only a few people knew about the fight. The Ridge Runner was a dirty fighter. She had taken a rock while Taylor was down and smashed it against her knee. As dirty as the Ridge Runner was, Taylor was dirtier and had won, hurt and all.
Silence
"Must've been hard growing up with a father like yours? I mean, my mother was tough, but I'm glad I didn't have your father." Sophie breaks the silence trying to dig into Taylor's thoughts.
"What was your mother like?" Sophie had grabbed Taylor's interests.
"Controlling. Wanted me to be the perfect daughter. I did everything opposite. How about your parents? What were they like?"
"I never knew my biological mother. My father told me that she was a teenage prostitute and she had dropped me off at their front door. The good Senator never wanted me. He had given my biological mother money to get an abortion. She couldn't go through with it. God I wish she had." Taylor looks surprised at what she just told. She had been holding everything in for so long, that it just came spilling out. Who was this woman that she decided to confide in. Taylor pauses and looks into Sophie's caring and concerned eyes.
"Go on." Sophie encourages.
"A few days after she gave birth to me, she left me on the doorstep to his mansion. His first wife found me and brought me inside. After DNA testing, she forced him to keep me. She left him when I was four. A year later I was sent to my first boarding school." Taylor gets tears in her eyes. "I was sent to a boarding school in a different country at the age of five. I never came home. He never came to visit. I spent holidays and summers with. . ." Taylor hesitates and then goes on. "Grant."
Silence
"How did he hurt you?" Sophie moves a little closer to Taylor. Taylor does not notice.
"What makes you think he hurt me?" Taylor refuses to look to look at Sophie. She just stares longer into the fire.
"Because every time you've gotten angry and in fighting mode, his name comes out of your mouth. You've called Peter Grant while he was holding you. When you and Scott were fighting, you called him Grant as well. Finally, when Grant was at the hospital, you flipped."
"So you automatically think that he did something to me." Taylor gets defensive.
"Tell me he didn't." Sophie bold tone throws Taylor off a little.
Silence
"Even if I did talk, he won't get in trouble."
"And why not?"
"Because I initiated it." Rage fills Taylor's voice. "I started it. I asked for it." Taylor starts to get upset and angry thinking about what is happening. Her body begins to tense up and she squeezes her fists.
"Whatever happened was not your fault." Sophie replies in a calm voice.
"I kissed him first. I was twelve and he was twenty-two. I was curious and he was the only man I had been around. My father hired him when I was little and I became attracted to him. That was all I wanted to do, just a kiss. . .but. . ."
"But what?"
"One summer he took it further. I remember I couldn't sleep and was very thirsty. I got up and went to the fridge."
Pause as Taylor remembers
"I was only wearing a t-shirt."
Pause
"I didn't see him behind me. I didn't know he was there until he put his hand on my shoulder."
Pause
"I dropped the glass. I will never forget that sound of shattering glass."
Pause
"He pulled him against him."
Pause
"He was naked and I could feel him against me. He covered my mouth and whispered 'don't scream or this will happen to someone else.' I swallowed my cries as he pulled him into another room." Taylor holds back the tears now threatening to fall. "He had his friends spending the night and I had one of my friends staying over as well."
Pause
"He then threw me on the bed, smiling the whole time. 'I know you want this.' He says as he begins to remove my t-shirt. 'I remember that kiss we shared.'"
Pause
"I didn't want it. I wanted to scream for help, but I was afraid. I didn't want anyone else to get hurt." Taylor stops and begins to shake.
"Go on." Sophie moves closer to her, tears forming in her eyes.
"Then I saw something out of the corner of my eye and thought someone had heard the glass shatter. I felt a little relieved that I was going to be saved. Except it wasn't someone there to help. They were there to join in. The whole summer, he would have all of his friends over male and . . . and female."
Taylor stops and turns her back to Sophie. She pulls her legs up to her chest and begins to sob. Sophie puts a hand on Taylor's shoulder and Taylor shakes it off.
"I'm not gay." She becomes instantly defensive and angry. Sophie pulls her hand from Taylor. "He told me that if I told anyone about what was going on, that no one would believe me or they would look at me as if I were a freak."
"No your not, they took advantage of a young girl. They are the one's that should pay." Sophie tries to look into Taylor's eyes, but Taylor refuses to look at her. How long did this go on?"
"For over a year and I said nothing. I kept my promise and said nothing."
"So you ran away."
"Yeah." Taylor pauses and decides not to go into anymore details. "I figured the streets couldn't be as bad."
"The scares on your back? What are they from?"
"Punishment, if I didn't do what they wanted."
Taylor buries her head in her knees and begins to cry. Sophie dares not to put a hand on her for fear of what would happen pulls up her knees and begins to cry. Sophie comforts her and Taylor allows for this. Taylor sobs in Sophie's arms. Sophie is crying as well.
"If you tell Child Protective Services I'll run." Taylor gets a stone hard cold look on her face.
"We can't let him stay out there."
"If you call, I'll tell them I lied to you."
"Taylor."
"Sophie, I mean it. If you tell anyone, including Peter, I'm outta here. ."
Sophie looks into Taylor's dark stone cold eyes.
*********