Stained Red Chapter Fourteen
Natalie awoke later that night to a pounding on the door. Turning to face Isaac who was sleeping soundly beside her she slipped out of bed. She wasn't sure how he could sleep through the loud pounding and she also prayed that all of their children slept through it as well. She would hate to have them woken up.
Finding her robe she slipped it over the t-shirt and shorts she had on and she made her way downstairs. As soon as she opened the door she froze when she found a disheveled looking Taylor at her front door. He looked like shit and he smelled like alcohol. He smelled like he had bathed in alcohol.
"Can I come on?" Taylor asked Natalie once she had opened the door. He had asked that but he didn't even give her time to answer. Instead he just shoved his way inside. "I need to talk and you're the only person who will listen to me."
Natalie shut the door behind Taylor following him inside. She was relieved when he made it to the couch without falling down, "You can talk to me," she nodded hoping he didn't get too loud and wake her family up. She wasn't sure if she would be able to explain his presence to Isaac and she wasn't sure how mad that it would make Isaac. She didn't want him to leave when he just came home.
"Nikki cheated on me with Isaac," Taylor confessed as he looked at her. "T..that was why Isaac didn't tell me about Theo after you confessed things to him. Nikki found out about Theo's paternity and used that against him," he frowned. "She used that against him as well as their affair."
Natalie nodded her head, "I knew all of this," she said biting her lip. Obviously Taylor had been kept in the dark that she knew what Nikki had done. "Isaac told me everything. That was what made us decide to get a DNA test."
Hearing Natalie's words Taylor frowned some, "So you lied to me too? You knew Nikki was a lying cheating bitch and you kept it to yourself?" he asked feeling even more hurt than what he had been. "I guess you had to protect your kind," he spit out without thinking.
Feeling hurt by Taylor's words Natalie swallowed a lump in her throat, "I wasn't protecting her," she defended as she shook her head. "I was just doing what was best as not to ruin everyone's lives. Yours,Kate's,Zac's, Isaac's..or did you forget that Nikki could have done that? She could have ruined things Tay. She could have ruined things for Zac and Kate and for you."
"She already ruined things for me," Taylor spat out knowing she had already ruined his life. She had cheated on him and she had also lied about the baby possibly being his. "Her baby could be Isaac's," he sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "She let me believe I could be a dad then she says tonight after I confront her on the cheating that the baby could be Isaac's."
Natalie forced a smile wondering if she should reveal she had known that too. "She told Isaac that already," she sighed deciding to be honest. "She told him about the pregnancy first the day she came back."
"Of course she did," Taylor muttered feeling even more hurt that again he had been kept in the dark about something. "Why do I always feel like the last to know things?" he asked her as he locked eyes with her. As they locked eyes he felt guilty for insinuating she was a lying cheating bitch. All her mistakes had really been in the past while Nikki was still making hers.
"Probably because you are," Natalie sighed as she locked eyes with Taylor. She felt bad for him. She felt bad that everything he had with Nikki had been shattered today. That he had to find out she wasn't who he thought she was.
Chewing his lip Taylor looked away from Natalie, "At least I know everything now. That's all that matters. Getting drunk helped me deal," he laughed as he turned to look at Natalie again. "Seeing you helped too," he whispered not sure if she would hear him.
Natalie couldn't help but smile when Taylor said seeing her helped. "Seeing me helped?" she asked curiously as she raised an eyebrow.
Nodding Taylor looked into her eyes again, "You always help me Natalie but I have been too blind to see it. I mean who did I come too when I needed help about the whole engagement thing, you. Who did I run to that time I freaked out over possibly getting a std from some foreign groupie, you. Who did I want to go out partying with me while my fiancee was out of town,you," Taylor sighed as he watched her. "I have feelings for you and I finally realized it."
Swallowing as she heard Taylor's words Natalie stayed silent. He had always ran to her over the years with his various problems and she had fixed them but to hear him say he had feelings for her it scared the shit out of her. It scared her because whether she wanted to admit it to anyone else having sex with him again had opened a whole new can of worms for her. A can she was trying to close...hoping she could close now that Isaac was home.
At the thought of Isaac she looked down at her wedding band. Just hours before she and Isaac had finally sat down and talked things over. His deciding to come home was the first step in trying to fix their marriage. Tomorrow he said he would call the lawyer and put a hold on the divorce. They would go to counseling and try to work things out. The Theo stuff they would navigate as best they could. They would do whatever they could together.
But now here Taylor was confessing that he had feelings for her and Natalie was reminded of her own feelings for him. She hated that she felt so conflicted. Hated that she really had no one to talk too because talking to Kate would mean confessing everything even the Zac stuff.
"Isaac came back home," Natalie finally spoke as she looked away from her wedding band. "We decided to work on our marriage," she confessed as she chewed on her lip. "I want to work on my marriage."
Frowning at Natalie's words Taylor looked away feeling the sting of rejection. His older brother had again taken his chance with Natalie. He had taken it and was reclaiming his family. "Do you want to work on your marriage because you love him or because you are comfortable with him?" Taylor asked as he finally looked back at Natalie. "Do you still love Isaac?"
Looking away from Taylor, Natalie shook her head, "Of course I love him," she said feeling like Taylor should have known that. "I want to work on my marriage because I love him. We have a family..kids together."
"So when we had sex it was just a fuck to you Natalie?" Taylor asked as he scooted closer to her. "You didn't feel anything?"
Unable to look at Taylor still Natalie swallowed hard, "I may have felt something but that doesn't change things. That doesn't change my love for Isaac."
"If you really loved Isaac you wouldn't have feelings for me," Taylor whispered as he moved his face closer to hers and he reached his hand out to cup her chin, making her look at him. "I think you just want Isaac because he is familiar to you. You are scared try being with someone new. Scared to get out of your comfort zone...scared to ruin your family."
Natalie remained silent as Taylor talked and she remained silent even after he finished. Something she probably shouldn't have done because the moment she saw his lips coming towards hers she wished she had replied instead of staying silent. Staying silent had made him think she wanted him to kiss her.
Leaning into kiss Natalie, Taylor smiled some when he felt Natalie kiss him back. He had expected her to push him away or push him away and then slap him but she had done neither of those options, instead she kissed him back. She kissed him back and even let her hands come to rest on his cheeks.
Kissing Taylor back Natalie knew she should have pushed him away. She had even been ready to do so but the moment their lips met she had felt that same spark for him she felt the night they had sex a few nights ago and she knew she couldn't push him away. She couldn't even if she wanted too.
It was only when Audrey cried out from upstairs that Natalie pulled away from her kiss with Taylor being brought back to her senses harshly. She had kissed Taylor with Isaac sleeping upstairs. Isaac the man whom she was married too. The man who she wanted to stay married too even if it seemed her body wanted someone else.
"I need to go check on my daughter and you need to go home," Natalie said as she stood up and left the room before Taylor could stop her. She didn't want to continue their conversation or their kiss any longer. She just wanted to forget both had happened.
Getting to the nursery Natalie bent down and picked up Audrey who was still crying. "Mama has you baby girl," she whispered as she kissed her forehead. Turning to go sit in the rocking chair Natalie froze when she saw Isaac standing in the doorway. "I'm sorry if she woke you. I tried to get her as soon as I could.
Isaac shrugged as he watched Natalie freeze the moment she saw him. "I was already awake. I have been awake ever since Taylor showed up," he admitted. "I watched and heard your whole conversation with him. I know how he feels about you and I saw the kiss. I saw that you didn't correct him," he told her before crossing his arms over his bare chest.
Walking to the rocking chair as Isaac talked, Natalie chewed hard on her lip as she thought of how to answer him back. How to defend what had happened downstairs. "I...he isn't right," she finally spoke. "I'm not just staying with you because I am comfortable. I love you."
Nodding Isaac looked at Natalie and he wanted desperately to believe her but he had seen that kiss. He had seen the passion between her and Taylor for himself. "You don't have to decide if he is right or not Nata. At least not right now" Isaac told her. "We're going to be doing marriage counseling. You can decide then if he is. You can decide then if you love me or if you want a life with him."
Staying silent again Natalie just rocked Audrey. She wasn't sure what to say to Isaac. She wasn't sure what to do. He was being nicer than she deserved. Being nicer than anyone deserved after all he had been through. How could she hurt him? How could she possibly choose another man over him? Why did her heart want Taylor?
Before she could say anything to Isaac though Natalie watched as he left the nursery and headed back to their bedroom. Looking down at Audrey she forced a smile, "Oh baby girl mama is in a jam," she whispered as her daughter calmed down and gave her a tiny smile with a coo. "Mama is in a really big jam."
Natalie awoke later that night to a pounding on the door. Turning to face Isaac who was sleeping soundly beside her she slipped out of bed. She wasn't sure how he could sleep through the loud pounding and she also prayed that all of their children slept through it as well. She would hate to have them woken up.
Finding her robe she slipped it over the t-shirt and shorts she had on and she made her way downstairs. As soon as she opened the door she froze when she found a disheveled looking Taylor at her front door. He looked like shit and he smelled like alcohol. He smelled like he had bathed in alcohol.
"Can I come on?" Taylor asked Natalie once she had opened the door. He had asked that but he didn't even give her time to answer. Instead he just shoved his way inside. "I need to talk and you're the only person who will listen to me."
Natalie shut the door behind Taylor following him inside. She was relieved when he made it to the couch without falling down, "You can talk to me," she nodded hoping he didn't get too loud and wake her family up. She wasn't sure if she would be able to explain his presence to Isaac and she wasn't sure how mad that it would make Isaac. She didn't want him to leave when he just came home.
"Nikki cheated on me with Isaac," Taylor confessed as he looked at her. "T..that was why Isaac didn't tell me about Theo after you confessed things to him. Nikki found out about Theo's paternity and used that against him," he frowned. "She used that against him as well as their affair."
Natalie nodded her head, "I knew all of this," she said biting her lip. Obviously Taylor had been kept in the dark that she knew what Nikki had done. "Isaac told me everything. That was what made us decide to get a DNA test."
Hearing Natalie's words Taylor frowned some, "So you lied to me too? You knew Nikki was a lying cheating bitch and you kept it to yourself?" he asked feeling even more hurt than what he had been. "I guess you had to protect your kind," he spit out without thinking.
Feeling hurt by Taylor's words Natalie swallowed a lump in her throat, "I wasn't protecting her," she defended as she shook her head. "I was just doing what was best as not to ruin everyone's lives. Yours,Kate's,Zac's, Isaac's..or did you forget that Nikki could have done that? She could have ruined things Tay. She could have ruined things for Zac and Kate and for you."
"She already ruined things for me," Taylor spat out knowing she had already ruined his life. She had cheated on him and she had also lied about the baby possibly being his. "Her baby could be Isaac's," he sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "She let me believe I could be a dad then she says tonight after I confront her on the cheating that the baby could be Isaac's."
Natalie forced a smile wondering if she should reveal she had known that too. "She told Isaac that already," she sighed deciding to be honest. "She told him about the pregnancy first the day she came back."
"Of course she did," Taylor muttered feeling even more hurt that again he had been kept in the dark about something. "Why do I always feel like the last to know things?" he asked her as he locked eyes with her. As they locked eyes he felt guilty for insinuating she was a lying cheating bitch. All her mistakes had really been in the past while Nikki was still making hers.
"Probably because you are," Natalie sighed as she locked eyes with Taylor. She felt bad for him. She felt bad that everything he had with Nikki had been shattered today. That he had to find out she wasn't who he thought she was.
Chewing his lip Taylor looked away from Natalie, "At least I know everything now. That's all that matters. Getting drunk helped me deal," he laughed as he turned to look at Natalie again. "Seeing you helped too," he whispered not sure if she would hear him.
Natalie couldn't help but smile when Taylor said seeing her helped. "Seeing me helped?" she asked curiously as she raised an eyebrow.
Nodding Taylor looked into her eyes again, "You always help me Natalie but I have been too blind to see it. I mean who did I come too when I needed help about the whole engagement thing, you. Who did I run to that time I freaked out over possibly getting a std from some foreign groupie, you. Who did I want to go out partying with me while my fiancee was out of town,you," Taylor sighed as he watched her. "I have feelings for you and I finally realized it."
Swallowing as she heard Taylor's words Natalie stayed silent. He had always ran to her over the years with his various problems and she had fixed them but to hear him say he had feelings for her it scared the shit out of her. It scared her because whether she wanted to admit it to anyone else having sex with him again had opened a whole new can of worms for her. A can she was trying to close...hoping she could close now that Isaac was home.
At the thought of Isaac she looked down at her wedding band. Just hours before she and Isaac had finally sat down and talked things over. His deciding to come home was the first step in trying to fix their marriage. Tomorrow he said he would call the lawyer and put a hold on the divorce. They would go to counseling and try to work things out. The Theo stuff they would navigate as best they could. They would do whatever they could together.
But now here Taylor was confessing that he had feelings for her and Natalie was reminded of her own feelings for him. She hated that she felt so conflicted. Hated that she really had no one to talk too because talking to Kate would mean confessing everything even the Zac stuff.
"Isaac came back home," Natalie finally spoke as she looked away from her wedding band. "We decided to work on our marriage," she confessed as she chewed on her lip. "I want to work on my marriage."
Frowning at Natalie's words Taylor looked away feeling the sting of rejection. His older brother had again taken his chance with Natalie. He had taken it and was reclaiming his family. "Do you want to work on your marriage because you love him or because you are comfortable with him?" Taylor asked as he finally looked back at Natalie. "Do you still love Isaac?"
Looking away from Taylor, Natalie shook her head, "Of course I love him," she said feeling like Taylor should have known that. "I want to work on my marriage because I love him. We have a family..kids together."
"So when we had sex it was just a fuck to you Natalie?" Taylor asked as he scooted closer to her. "You didn't feel anything?"
Unable to look at Taylor still Natalie swallowed hard, "I may have felt something but that doesn't change things. That doesn't change my love for Isaac."
"If you really loved Isaac you wouldn't have feelings for me," Taylor whispered as he moved his face closer to hers and he reached his hand out to cup her chin, making her look at him. "I think you just want Isaac because he is familiar to you. You are scared try being with someone new. Scared to get out of your comfort zone...scared to ruin your family."
Natalie remained silent as Taylor talked and she remained silent even after he finished. Something she probably shouldn't have done because the moment she saw his lips coming towards hers she wished she had replied instead of staying silent. Staying silent had made him think she wanted him to kiss her.
Leaning into kiss Natalie, Taylor smiled some when he felt Natalie kiss him back. He had expected her to push him away or push him away and then slap him but she had done neither of those options, instead she kissed him back. She kissed him back and even let her hands come to rest on his cheeks.
Kissing Taylor back Natalie knew she should have pushed him away. She had even been ready to do so but the moment their lips met she had felt that same spark for him she felt the night they had sex a few nights ago and she knew she couldn't push him away. She couldn't even if she wanted too.
It was only when Audrey cried out from upstairs that Natalie pulled away from her kiss with Taylor being brought back to her senses harshly. She had kissed Taylor with Isaac sleeping upstairs. Isaac the man whom she was married too. The man who she wanted to stay married too even if it seemed her body wanted someone else.
"I need to go check on my daughter and you need to go home," Natalie said as she stood up and left the room before Taylor could stop her. She didn't want to continue their conversation or their kiss any longer. She just wanted to forget both had happened.
Getting to the nursery Natalie bent down and picked up Audrey who was still crying. "Mama has you baby girl," she whispered as she kissed her forehead. Turning to go sit in the rocking chair Natalie froze when she saw Isaac standing in the doorway. "I'm sorry if she woke you. I tried to get her as soon as I could.
Isaac shrugged as he watched Natalie freeze the moment she saw him. "I was already awake. I have been awake ever since Taylor showed up," he admitted. "I watched and heard your whole conversation with him. I know how he feels about you and I saw the kiss. I saw that you didn't correct him," he told her before crossing his arms over his bare chest.
Walking to the rocking chair as Isaac talked, Natalie chewed hard on her lip as she thought of how to answer him back. How to defend what had happened downstairs. "I...he isn't right," she finally spoke. "I'm not just staying with you because I am comfortable. I love you."
Nodding Isaac looked at Natalie and he wanted desperately to believe her but he had seen that kiss. He had seen the passion between her and Taylor for himself. "You don't have to decide if he is right or not Nata. At least not right now" Isaac told her. "We're going to be doing marriage counseling. You can decide then if he is. You can decide then if you love me or if you want a life with him."
Staying silent again Natalie just rocked Audrey. She wasn't sure what to say to Isaac. She wasn't sure what to do. He was being nicer than she deserved. Being nicer than anyone deserved after all he had been through. How could she hurt him? How could she possibly choose another man over him? Why did her heart want Taylor?
Before she could say anything to Isaac though Natalie watched as he left the nursery and headed back to their bedroom. Looking down at Audrey she forced a smile, "Oh baby girl mama is in a jam," she whispered as her daughter calmed down and gave her a tiny smile with a coo. "Mama is in a really big jam."
