Page 80 of Loving Taylor

He didn't push me further for any more information.

"You can get hold of me on my phone if anything crops up." He nodded.

I left, throwing my bag in the back of my car and headed to my mom’s.

It was late by the time I arrived. I knocked. There was some noise inside before the door opened. My mother was already dressed in her pajamas and a dressing gown.

"You're here." Her eyes lit up when she saw me and it was difficult not to be affected by it. She was more than happy to see me. And for once, the rest of my life was worse than any guilt or memories I held for my mom.

"Where's Sally?" I asked when she ushered me into the house and closed the door behind her.

"I gave her the night off," she explained before she followed me into the living room where I put my bag down beside the sofa.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

I don't think I had eaten all day. "Yeah."

She hurried into the kitchen.

"I can make you grilled cheese sandwiches," she said as she began to open the cupboards. For a moment I saw a glimpse of the part of my mother that had only come out very rarely to do something for me, like make supper or put me to bed.

I swallowed. "Yeah...that sounds good."

Watching her make me supper made me feel sorry for all the times she hadn't been there to make me something to eat or care about what was happening to me.

"Here," she announced, sliding the plate with the sandwich over to me.

"It smells good." I took a bite and ate. She sat down beside me and watched me eat.

My stomach grumbled as I finished the last of my food.

"You're too skinny," my mother said before she got up and put my plate in the sink.

"I'm fine, Mom."

She stopped. Her eyes were on me, her easy-going look she had just worn moments before was gone. Her features looked more serious than before.

"What's going on?"

Opening up to my mother wasn't something that came easily.

"It's a girl." Her guess was spot on.

How did she know that? Did I have some message on my forehead that said I had been stupid enough to allow myself to care for a girl who would hurt me? I couldn't bring myself to confirm it.

"I know that look." She came back to sit down beside me. The light that she had held before was gone. In just a few minutes she looked much older, and tired. "It's that look when your heart no longer beats in your own chest."

I frowned.

"It belongs to someone else."

My frown deepened. I cared for Taylor but love was something much more than I had ever contemplated.

"And they've broken it."

She was reading too close to actual events and it made me shift slightly in my seat.

"What happened?" she asked softly, searching my features.