Untouchable

For the longest time, Taylor stared silently out the open door trying to fully comprehend what had happened in the short ten minutes. He could hear Emma’s sobs behind him in a faint, distant way, as if he were underwater. He shut his eyes wanting to will the scene away. Slowly and reluctantly, Taylor turned around. Emma’s face was caked in streaming mascara and she rubbed her forearms as if the room were cold. Her fragile frame shook with every shattering cry.

“Selena doesn’t know what she’s talking about. I didn’t have sex with Emma.” Taylor stared past Emma, glaring at Logan with angry eyes. “In all honesty, it was my fault. I’m the one who got her drunk.”

“But she didn’t have to drink, did she?” Emma cringed at Taylor’s words. “That one is on her. She also didn’t have to ignore my calls for a week and then decide to go out and fuck around with you.”

“Come on, man. That’s not fair to her.”

“Do you seriously want to talk to me about what’s fair?” Taylor’s temper was flaring; his face turned dark and foreign. “Emma is old enough to make her own fucking decisions! She chose this and you influenced her.”

Emma spoke softly. “I didn’t think you would be this mad over it.”

Taylor pulled at his short hair. “Are you fucking kidding me? You didn’t think that I would be mad over you having sex with another guy, especially since we haven’t even had sex yet!”

Logan stood up straighter. “I told you that we didn’t have sex! What more do you want me to say?”

Taylor yelled out, “Stop fucking talking for her!”

“Well someone has to talk for her since you’re acting like a fucking dick! I fucking told you that it was my fault that this happened and you still won’t shut the fuck up!”

Taylor screamed in frustration and grabbed Logan by the neck, cutting off his airway. Emma shrieked in fear, glued to her spot in the living room. “Say one more word. I dare you to say one more fucking word to me. I swear to God, I’ll kill you.”

“Taylor, please,” Emma pleaded, “Don’t hurt him!”

Taylor snapped his gaze toward Emma’s direction. “Don’t hurt him? Don’t hurt him?” He grasped onto Logan’s neck tighter, and Logan choked audibly. “You had no problem hurting me, but yet you don’t want me to hurt him?”

Emma sobered up and looked Taylor straight in the eyes. “I never meant to hurt you, Taylor. I made a mistake going with Logan. Please forgive me.”

Letting the words skin in, Taylor threw Logan against the wall. “You’re a pathetic piece of shit.” He turned to walk to Emma. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, “And so are you.”

Emma yelled compulsively. “Please, Taylor, please! I’m so sorry. You don’t understand just how much I regret it. I wish I could take everything back, I really do! Just don’t leave me!” Her eyes glistened from the close proximity of the tears. “Don’t.”

Taylor’s lips faltered as he turned to see Emma. His eyes were red and she could tell he was close to tears. “How can I stay when you’ve hurt me so bad I can’t even describe how much pain I’m in?” He walked back toward her. “I loved you, Em, with everything I had. You were everything to me. You were the first thing I thought of when I woke up and the last thing I thought about before I fell asleep. You were beautiful and smart and I saw an amazing future with you every time I stared into those gorgeous green eyes.” Taylor swiped a hand across her cheek. A tear slipped from his eye as he blinked and turned away from her. “But I can’t do this. You’re nothing to me now.”

Emma grabbed onto his hands, refusing to let go. “You love me, baby, I know you do. And I love you, too. Stay with me—hold me and tell me everything’s going to be okay. You’re the only one who can really love me.”

In that moment, a glimmer of hope rose in Emma’s eyes as she saw Taylor stare into hers with an emotion so strong it burned into her. “We’re over, Emma. We were over the minute you decided to choose him over me.”

Taylor jerked his hands out of her hold and angrily grabbed his jacket where it lay draped over the chair. “She’s all yours, Logan. I hope you two have a wonderful life together.”

Logan leaned against the wall to help with his balance. “I can’t believe you would leave her even after she begged you to stay. What the hell’s wrong with you?”

Taylor’s dark eyes had returned as he spun around. “Don’t fucking mess with me! She made her choice and now she’s going to have to live with it.”

Emma wrung her hands. “Taylor…you’re the only one I have left. Selena hates me for what I did to her, and I don’t blame her. Kellan never wants to see my face again and now you want nothing to do with me. I can’t…I can’t….” She choked on her next shuttering sob. “I can’t live without you.”

Taylor repeated, “You made your choice.”

“After everything we’ve been through, you can stand there and seriously tell me that you want nothing to do with me? What did I really do that was so bad? I almost got raped and you won’t even take my side on this!”

“I don’t want anything to do with a slut. You deserved what you got tonight.” Taylor strode to the door and paused before he went through. He didn’t face Emma or Logan. “I wish he would’ve gone through with it. At least then I could actually believe that you didn’t choose to be with him.”

Emma ran to the door and screamed, “I love you!”

Taylor didn’t cringe or flinch; he slammed the door in Emma’s face, leaving the slight smell of his cologne behind—a smell that reminded her entirely too much of what she had lost.

The birds chirped brightly above as Emma strode down the sidewalk. She desperately needed to see Selena and she was prepared to beg her. Taylor hadn’t talked to her since the night of their big showdown and as far as she knew, he had already long forgot about her.

Emma arrived at Selena’s front door and mulled over the idea of knocking. She was so accustomed to walking in without permission. She dearly missed her best friend and it took everything she had to stay away from her for so long.

Slowly, Emma raised her fist and pounded on the wooden door. She waited patiently, keeping her ears open for any small or insignificant noises. There was none.

“Selena?” Emma called out, hoping she would open the door. “It’s me. It’s…Emma.”

No answer.

Emma turned the knob and the door easily opened. From the moment the door swung open, it was clear what had happened. The contents of the house had been emptied out and the walls were stripped of any memorabilia and picture frames.

Despite the obvious, Emma called out, “Selena!”

Her voice echoed emptily through the house. Selena was gone and Emma feared she may never come back. She ran from the house and fled down the street. What was going to happen to her? She couldn’t help but think of all the terrible things that could happen. Was she going to be alone forever? Who would take care of her now?

A voice behind her rang out in the early morning air. “Hey, Em.”

Emma’s stomach churned. Had Taylor changed his mind? She turned to find Logan, leaning against a tree, and her hopes fell instantly. She swiped at her tears. “It’s not a good time right now. I have to go.”

“Go where? Last time I checked, no one wanted you.” Logan brought a joint to his lips and inhaled through his half-open mouth.

Emma grimaced at him. “What are you doing?”

Logan pointed to his neck. “Your boyfriend gave me a hell of a bruise, so I’m getting high to forget about it.”

Emma didn’t think; she just spoke. “Can I have some?”

Logan held it out to her and she accepted it. She coughed a little from the new feeling, and took another huff from it, then another and another.

“Slow down, Em. You don’t want to take too many hits.”

“Do you have anything stronger than this?”

Logan grinned. “Yeah, I got some heroine in my room.” He scanned her up and down. “Did you want to try it out?”

Emma stared up at his house, refusing to think of the future or the past. “Sure.”