"You talk far too much for someone so unkind" - Leave a Trace, CHVRCHES
As the night moved into morning, Taylor's head was heavy with the information David had given her. After their conversation, she'd pretended to fall asleep, and ignored the way he'd untangled his arms from her body as she "slept." He'd snuck out before dawn as well, earlier than he had the nights before.
He was as torn as she was, and he wanted to give her space to think through her next moves.
The dark sky was turning purple and blue, a tell-tale sign that the sun would peek over the horizon soon, and David sulked back to the cave. By telling her how to save herself, and save Sam, he'd damned the rest of them - his brothers included. Was her life worth it, he wondered? Was he willing to sacrifice the family he'd known for decades to save a girl he'd known for only a few weeks?
He couldn't have regrets now, he realized, for it was too late. He'd made his decision, and now Taylor would have to make hers.
()()()
So she could save her life, Taylor thought, and maybe even save Sam's, by killing Max. But, that would leave all the others - her old family and her new one - dead as well.
In these moments, she thought David would be the one on her mind, the one whose death she contemplated the most. Or maybe it should be Michael's. By doing this, she'd be trading one brother for another - killing Michael to save Sam, to save herself. Was it selfish, or selfless? Her mother would tell her one thing, but those innocent girls on the boardwalk the boys fed on every night, drunk on youth and discount wine, would probably say otherwise.
Truthfully though, it was Laddie who gave her pause. The same creature who'd looked at her last night with feral eyes and nearly threatened her life. If she hadn't been a halfling, he would've killed her - and that was both equally terrifying, and heartbreaking. Laddie was just a kid, and he deserved a life, even if he wasn't spending it alive.
Taylor's alarm blared at her a few moments later, startling her. But the sun outside was just so bright, and it seemed to cut through her curtains despite the dark fabric. Taylor did not want to go into work today.
She was tired and in her sundress from last night's date, which reeked of cigarettes and cheap beer. Yesterday's curls were starting to fall, and she found herself aching for more sleep. The sun's rising seemed to have an opposite effect on her; instead of waking her up, it lulled her into an untrusting sleep.
She couldn't feed though, she knew that. Maybe, she thought, she could balance it all - be a human by day and a vampire by night, try to do it all. Taylor knew she couldn't, but it was a nice thought, and a nice dream that followed her into a silent sleep.
()()()
When she woke up, hours later, the sun had disappeared and Sam was knocking incessantly on her door.
"You okay, Taylor?" He hollered. "You slept all day!"
Shit. Taylor moaned. She'd slept through work.
"I'm okay, just exhausted!" She sighed. There was no point in lying, Sam knew what she was.
"Well, there's a message for you on the machine." Sam said, his voice low in a way that told Taylor he'd already listened to it. That was the only cue she needed to know that the message was from Sherli.
Still in the white sundress, makeup smeared under her eyes, Taylor rushed downstairs and into the kitchen, unplugging the machine from the wall and bringing it up to her bedroom.
"I'll take the call upstairs," She huffed, hurrying past a confused and embarrassed Sam. He felt bad for her.
She waited until he moved away from her bedroom door to listen to the recording, already knowing that she'd fucked up the one good thing she had going for her in Santa Carla.
"Look kiddo, I took a chance on you. And I really, really like you, I do. But you've been slipping up lately - you haven't been nearly as focused, you've been sick, and now you're not showing up. You're a talented stylist, you don't need me to tell you that, and it's not that you're lacking work ethic…" Sherli's voice on the line dragged off for a moment, and then cleared her throat, refocusing her thoughts. "To be honest, something's off with you. I can sense it. There's something wrong, and I don't want to be involved with it. So I'm…I'm letting you go. I'm sorry Taylor, you don't deserve this, but whatever you're wrapped up in, I can't get me or the shop involved with. Anyways, if you need a recommendation or whatever, give them my number. I'll put in a good word for you at whatever shop you choose to go to."
The voice cut off, and Taylor realized Sherli hadn't even included an official goodbye. The tears started to flow slowly, then quickly, and then they stopped altogether.
"I have to stop being such a baby," She moaned aloud, wiping at her tearstained cheeks.
You're a monster, she told herself. So accept it. Pull it together and act like one.
Taylor rose from her spot on the floor, gracelessly kicked the answering machine under her bed, and moved to take a bath.
()()()
The woman's hair was loose and wild, dark curls intertwined with honey blonde caramel. Her Poison t-shirt was cropped just slightly, and the raw hem met the beginning of her cut-offs in a way that seemed effortless. Her legs were long and tan, but seemed to glow ethereally white at the same time - a combination that was unnatural, but looked good on her. She stalked the boardwalk without fear, attracting the wandering eyes of bored family men and surf nazis alike. The latter group, however, were the quickest to make a move.
The first to walk over to her was shorter and stockier than she would've liked, but his body was still covered in the type of lean muscles that were distinctive to those who had spent most of their lives in the water.
"What's your name, beautiful?" He asked her, looking her up and down like she was an animal at auction. His use of the last word - beautiful - reminded her of John, or Ken, or whatever his real name had been.
"Trina," Taylor smiled, not missing a beat. Her teeth were long, pointed, and sharp. "And you are?"
"Adam." He smiled at her. "Want to check out a bonfire under the boardwalk? I heard they have some beer."
"Sure," She nodded, letting him lead her away from the lights and the crowds, letting him think he was in charge.
When Adam reached for Taylor's hand, she let him take it, but instead of allowing him to guide her towards the burning light in the distance, she pulled him further away from it.
He hadn't even asked where they were going, just took the opportunity to kiss her forcefully and grab at her denim-clad butt. Rolling her eyes, Taylor bit just as abruptly into his pulsing neck.
She didn't feel bad for this one; he'd made it obvious enough that he wouldn't be missed.