Stained Red Chapter Twelve
Isaac sipped on his coffee as he sat at the studio. Two days had passed since finding out Theodore wasn't his and also since finding out Nikki may have been pregnant by him. Two days and all Isaac had done was worry. How could he not? It seemed like everything was slipping out of control and he wasn't sure if he could fix things. Maybe he should have never confronted Natalie about Theodore's paternity. They wouldn't be in this mess if he hadn't.
Hearing the door to the offices open he looked up seeing Zac come in with a weird expression on his face. So far it was just Isaac in the studio and now Zac. There was no Taylor.
"Where is Tay?" Zac asked as he sat down beside Isaac. Usually Taylor was the first one at the studio, though it seemed today he was the last. Zac swore this was a first for Taylor, coming in so late.
Sighing when Zac asked where Taylor was, Isaac decided on a lie. He knew there was no way he could tell Zac that Taylor and Natalie had gone out to breakfast. That Natalie had plans to tell Taylor that Theodore was his. That Natalie planned to ruin everything Isaac held dear, though he knew deep down it was for the best and it would help him get Nikki off his back. He could finally tell Taylor that he had slept with her. That she wasn't as loving as she seemed.
"I don't actually," Isaac shrugged before picking up his coffee and taking another sip. "Called me this morning though to tell me to let myself in with my key. Said he'd be in this afternoon," he smiled before looking at the clock. It was almost noon so Taylor should be here soon, a fact that made Isaac scared.
Zac raised his eyebrow but sat down at his desk. He didn't know what it was that made him doubt Isaac's story but he did. He had a feeling Isaac knew where Taylor was but he was lying for some reason. Though Zac decided not to press the issue. It never did good for him to press Isaac. He and Isaac just never got along and Zac suspected it was because he had dated Natalie first. Isaac was upset that he had, had Natalie first.
Isaac was glad when Zac didn't say anything else. He was glad that Zac had learned not to press things with him, though he guessed the fact that a few of their arguments had gotten psychical had helped Zac learn not to press him anymore. Chewing on his lip he tried to get back into work mode but he couldn't. Instead he just watched as the time changed slowly, the minutes just ticking by like they were hours.
When noon does roll around Isaac jumped when he heard the front door of the studio slam shut. A slam that even made Zac jump in his own seat. Biting his lip Isaac looked up from his computer watching as Taylor made his way into the room and when Taylor's eyes landed on Isaac, Isaac felt his cheeks turn a bright red.
"We need to talk," Taylor spat out as he stood in the doorway of the offices at the studio. His eyes were glued to Isaac and he hoped Isaac knew he meant he wanted to talk to him in person, not with Zac around to hear. What they had to talk about didn't concern Zac.
Isaac nodded as he heard Taylor, standing up from his desk he walked to where Taylor was, soon following him out of the offices and towards one of the back rooms in the studio. When Taylor closed the door behind them Isaac braced himself for whatever Taylor would say. He knew it wouldn't be pretty, had convinced himself of as much.
Taylor turned to Isaac after he shut the door behind them and he glared some, "Natalie told me," he said as he crossed his arms and walked to where he could look Isaac in the eye. "She told me about Theo. How she lied and was never sure whose kid he was. That she only really found out three days ago. Found out he is mine."
Nodding again Isaac wanted to look away from Taylor but he couldn't, "That she did," he confirmed as he hated the fact that his brother was glaring at him. It wasn't like he had been the one who had lied. He had only found out a few weeks ago. "I only found out a few weeks ago myself."
"And you still kept it from me?" Taylor asked though he already knew the answer. An answer that was confirmed when Isaac nodded his head yes. "You could have told me. I deserved to know," he spat out. He was angry that he had been kept in the dark for longer than he needed to be. Angry that Natalie and Isaac had both decided to lie until they knew the truth.
"I did still keep it from you," Isaac said feeling a tad bit guilty. "But in the end it wasn't my truth to tell. I wasn't the one who had lied for years. That was Natalie and it was on her."
Taylor looked down knowing Isaac was right. It had always been Natalie's place to tell the truth about this. "Well she did," he said knowing he was still trying to come to terms with it. "She told me I have a son," he smiled only briefly. "A son you have raised for ten years. A son who calls you daddy," he finished as he stayed looking down.
Isaac couldn't help but frown as he listened to Taylor talk. It was then he almost felt childish for want to keep Theo to himself. He knew deep down he could no longer do that. Theo was also Taylor's son biologically and whether Isaac liked it or not he had to share that son now. He had to share his son.
"What are you going to do?" he asked feeling afraid of Taylor's answer. While he knew he would have to share his son he was afraid Taylor would want him gone all together. He was afraid Taylor would want to raise Theo with Natalie by himself and Isaac knew he'd never survive if that happened. He needed his son...he was..had already lost his wife the day they had their argument.
Looking away from Isaac Taylor was unsure how he could answer his brother because if he was being honest he didn't know yet what he was going to do. He did know he wanted Theo to know him as his father but he wasn't sure when would be the right time to tell him. "I don't know," Taylor finally confessed as he looked back at Isaac. "I mean I do know I want him to know me as his father but I don't know when we should tell him."
"So you want to erase me as his father?" Isaac asked his voice coming out harsher than he had meant.
"No," Taylor answered as he ran a hand through his hair. "Theo is ten he has known you as his father for so long that I don't want to ruin that for him Ike," he sighed before frowning some as he thought of all the years he could have had with his son had Natalie been honest. Hell if she had been honest they could have the life he mentioned just a few days ago to her. "But I want him to know me as a father too. We can both be his dad. It happens all the time to parents who remarry. Kids have more than one dad."
Isaac goes silent as Taylor speaks. He knows Taylor has a point but he hates to admit that. "Theo will never understand," he mused after much contemplation of what to say to Taylor. "He'll never understand how you are his daddy and I'm his uncle."
Taylor sighed before looking down as Isaac spoke. His brother was right when he said Theo wouldn't understand. Theodore would be confused but it had to happen. He needed to know the truth and Taylor wanted his child. He wanted his family that he had been denied now for ten years.
"He'll understand eventually," Taylor nodded before turning to leave Isaac behind but he was surprised when Isaac grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving the room. The forcefulness in his grab made Taylor feel just a bit scared, like Isaac was going to hurt him somehow.
Isaac looked at Taylor when he turned back around. He could see Taylor was scared but he kept a firm grip on him. "We'll tell Theo," he relented before locking eyes with his brother. "But I swear to God if it confuses him or hurts him I will hurt you."
Nodding at Isaac's words Taylor forced a smile, "You can hurt me," he agreed knowing that Isaac had a right to be angry if Theo did get confused or hurt by the truth. But it wasn't like Taylor meant to hurt the kid. Taylor just wanted the son he had been denied. "Is that all?"
When Taylor asked if that was all Isaac swallowed hard knowing he now had to be honest as well. He had to tell Taylor about Nikki. It was only fair and it was part of the bargain he made with Natalie. She'd tell the truth and so would he.
"No," Isaac finally spoke as he broke eye contact with Taylor. "There is one more thing you need to know. One more secret that has been kept from you."
Feeling confused by Isaac's words Taylor pulled his arm away. When he had asked if that was all he had meant the stuff with Theo and he felt like whatever Isaac had to say didn't have to do with Theo. Whatever Isaac was going to say had to do with something else entirely.
At Taylor's silence, Isaac took a deep breath before looking down at the floor, "I...a few weeks ago I got drunk. It was the night I confronted Natalie on Theo and she was honest with me. I got drunk at some bar and I met a woman. I took her back to the hotel and we had sex."
"And that has what to do with me?" Taylor asked oblivious as to why Isaac was telling him about his sex life. Taylor really didn't care who Isaac fucked.
"It has something to do with you because the woman was Nikki," Isaac revealed as he watched Taylor's reaction to this news. "I had sex with Nikki the night before you proposed to her. I didn't know who she was until I went to mom and dad's for dinner that night. I didn't know she was your Nikki."
Isaac sipped on his coffee as he sat at the studio. Two days had passed since finding out Theodore wasn't his and also since finding out Nikki may have been pregnant by him. Two days and all Isaac had done was worry. How could he not? It seemed like everything was slipping out of control and he wasn't sure if he could fix things. Maybe he should have never confronted Natalie about Theodore's paternity. They wouldn't be in this mess if he hadn't.
Hearing the door to the offices open he looked up seeing Zac come in with a weird expression on his face. So far it was just Isaac in the studio and now Zac. There was no Taylor.
"Where is Tay?" Zac asked as he sat down beside Isaac. Usually Taylor was the first one at the studio, though it seemed today he was the last. Zac swore this was a first for Taylor, coming in so late.
Sighing when Zac asked where Taylor was, Isaac decided on a lie. He knew there was no way he could tell Zac that Taylor and Natalie had gone out to breakfast. That Natalie had plans to tell Taylor that Theodore was his. That Natalie planned to ruin everything Isaac held dear, though he knew deep down it was for the best and it would help him get Nikki off his back. He could finally tell Taylor that he had slept with her. That she wasn't as loving as she seemed.
"I don't actually," Isaac shrugged before picking up his coffee and taking another sip. "Called me this morning though to tell me to let myself in with my key. Said he'd be in this afternoon," he smiled before looking at the clock. It was almost noon so Taylor should be here soon, a fact that made Isaac scared.
Zac raised his eyebrow but sat down at his desk. He didn't know what it was that made him doubt Isaac's story but he did. He had a feeling Isaac knew where Taylor was but he was lying for some reason. Though Zac decided not to press the issue. It never did good for him to press Isaac. He and Isaac just never got along and Zac suspected it was because he had dated Natalie first. Isaac was upset that he had, had Natalie first.
Isaac was glad when Zac didn't say anything else. He was glad that Zac had learned not to press things with him, though he guessed the fact that a few of their arguments had gotten psychical had helped Zac learn not to press him anymore. Chewing on his lip he tried to get back into work mode but he couldn't. Instead he just watched as the time changed slowly, the minutes just ticking by like they were hours.
When noon does roll around Isaac jumped when he heard the front door of the studio slam shut. A slam that even made Zac jump in his own seat. Biting his lip Isaac looked up from his computer watching as Taylor made his way into the room and when Taylor's eyes landed on Isaac, Isaac felt his cheeks turn a bright red.
"We need to talk," Taylor spat out as he stood in the doorway of the offices at the studio. His eyes were glued to Isaac and he hoped Isaac knew he meant he wanted to talk to him in person, not with Zac around to hear. What they had to talk about didn't concern Zac.
Isaac nodded as he heard Taylor, standing up from his desk he walked to where Taylor was, soon following him out of the offices and towards one of the back rooms in the studio. When Taylor closed the door behind them Isaac braced himself for whatever Taylor would say. He knew it wouldn't be pretty, had convinced himself of as much.
Taylor turned to Isaac after he shut the door behind them and he glared some, "Natalie told me," he said as he crossed his arms and walked to where he could look Isaac in the eye. "She told me about Theo. How she lied and was never sure whose kid he was. That she only really found out three days ago. Found out he is mine."
Nodding again Isaac wanted to look away from Taylor but he couldn't, "That she did," he confirmed as he hated the fact that his brother was glaring at him. It wasn't like he had been the one who had lied. He had only found out a few weeks ago. "I only found out a few weeks ago myself."
"And you still kept it from me?" Taylor asked though he already knew the answer. An answer that was confirmed when Isaac nodded his head yes. "You could have told me. I deserved to know," he spat out. He was angry that he had been kept in the dark for longer than he needed to be. Angry that Natalie and Isaac had both decided to lie until they knew the truth.
"I did still keep it from you," Isaac said feeling a tad bit guilty. "But in the end it wasn't my truth to tell. I wasn't the one who had lied for years. That was Natalie and it was on her."
Taylor looked down knowing Isaac was right. It had always been Natalie's place to tell the truth about this. "Well she did," he said knowing he was still trying to come to terms with it. "She told me I have a son," he smiled only briefly. "A son you have raised for ten years. A son who calls you daddy," he finished as he stayed looking down.
Isaac couldn't help but frown as he listened to Taylor talk. It was then he almost felt childish for want to keep Theo to himself. He knew deep down he could no longer do that. Theo was also Taylor's son biologically and whether Isaac liked it or not he had to share that son now. He had to share his son.
"What are you going to do?" he asked feeling afraid of Taylor's answer. While he knew he would have to share his son he was afraid Taylor would want him gone all together. He was afraid Taylor would want to raise Theo with Natalie by himself and Isaac knew he'd never survive if that happened. He needed his son...he was..had already lost his wife the day they had their argument.
Looking away from Isaac Taylor was unsure how he could answer his brother because if he was being honest he didn't know yet what he was going to do. He did know he wanted Theo to know him as his father but he wasn't sure when would be the right time to tell him. "I don't know," Taylor finally confessed as he looked back at Isaac. "I mean I do know I want him to know me as his father but I don't know when we should tell him."
"So you want to erase me as his father?" Isaac asked his voice coming out harsher than he had meant.
"No," Taylor answered as he ran a hand through his hair. "Theo is ten he has known you as his father for so long that I don't want to ruin that for him Ike," he sighed before frowning some as he thought of all the years he could have had with his son had Natalie been honest. Hell if she had been honest they could have the life he mentioned just a few days ago to her. "But I want him to know me as a father too. We can both be his dad. It happens all the time to parents who remarry. Kids have more than one dad."
Isaac goes silent as Taylor speaks. He knows Taylor has a point but he hates to admit that. "Theo will never understand," he mused after much contemplation of what to say to Taylor. "He'll never understand how you are his daddy and I'm his uncle."
Taylor sighed before looking down as Isaac spoke. His brother was right when he said Theo wouldn't understand. Theodore would be confused but it had to happen. He needed to know the truth and Taylor wanted his child. He wanted his family that he had been denied now for ten years.
"He'll understand eventually," Taylor nodded before turning to leave Isaac behind but he was surprised when Isaac grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving the room. The forcefulness in his grab made Taylor feel just a bit scared, like Isaac was going to hurt him somehow.
Isaac looked at Taylor when he turned back around. He could see Taylor was scared but he kept a firm grip on him. "We'll tell Theo," he relented before locking eyes with his brother. "But I swear to God if it confuses him or hurts him I will hurt you."
Nodding at Isaac's words Taylor forced a smile, "You can hurt me," he agreed knowing that Isaac had a right to be angry if Theo did get confused or hurt by the truth. But it wasn't like Taylor meant to hurt the kid. Taylor just wanted the son he had been denied. "Is that all?"
When Taylor asked if that was all Isaac swallowed hard knowing he now had to be honest as well. He had to tell Taylor about Nikki. It was only fair and it was part of the bargain he made with Natalie. She'd tell the truth and so would he.
"No," Isaac finally spoke as he broke eye contact with Taylor. "There is one more thing you need to know. One more secret that has been kept from you."
Feeling confused by Isaac's words Taylor pulled his arm away. When he had asked if that was all he had meant the stuff with Theo and he felt like whatever Isaac had to say didn't have to do with Theo. Whatever Isaac was going to say had to do with something else entirely.
At Taylor's silence, Isaac took a deep breath before looking down at the floor, "I...a few weeks ago I got drunk. It was the night I confronted Natalie on Theo and she was honest with me. I got drunk at some bar and I met a woman. I took her back to the hotel and we had sex."
"And that has what to do with me?" Taylor asked oblivious as to why Isaac was telling him about his sex life. Taylor really didn't care who Isaac fucked.
"It has something to do with you because the woman was Nikki," Isaac revealed as he watched Taylor's reaction to this news. "I had sex with Nikki the night before you proposed to her. I didn't know who she was until I went to mom and dad's for dinner that night. I didn't know she was your Nikki."
