Promises to Keep

"Well, that was fun" Tayla scoffed, sighing and rolling her eyes.

"What makes you say that?" Tyler asked curiously. He was certain Tayla wasn't aware of the reason her sister never came back to dinner, and the hushed fight they had had once he pulled her aside from the table.

"My sister called me a whore, in so many words" Tayla raised her eyebrows, pointing out. "So, you know, I wouldn't exactly call that a great dinner" she surprised Tyler by her answer.

"I- I had no idea you heard that conversation" Tyler commented, unsure of what else to say. They were driving home from dinner, both of them going to stay with their respective parents. Since they lived so close, and so each could spend time with their parents, they decided this was the best course of action. They were driving back from dinner, Tayla seemingly in a sour mood.

"I heard her murmur under her breath, so I figured when you pulled her aside it had something to do with me not keeping my legs shut" Tayla sighed, not even slightly surprised by her sisters words. "It's weird, she's been like this my entire life, and even that comment shocked me" Tayla admitted, feeling tears sting her eyes. "I don't know what I ever did to make her hate me so much"

"You didn't do anything" Tyler assured her immediately. "I know it sounds cliché- but it's true. You've got so much going for you, Tay. An amazing job, amazing friends, an amazing boyfriend..." he trailed off, adding a wink, causing her to let out a snort of laughter. "And we're about to start a family together; what does she have going for her? She's cheated on every boyfriend she's ever had, she dropped out of college, and works as a waitress, still living with your parents- and she's just turned 30. She didn't think her younger sister would be so successful before her, that's all" Tyler rambled on.

Maybe there was an ounce of truth to the words Tyler spoke; was her sister just jealous of the life she lived? Did she wish she was in Tayla's shoes? It wouldn't explain how cruel she was to Tayla growing up, but it sure would explain how worse she has become, especially as of late.

"I know she's your sister, but that doesn't mean you have to like her" Tyler added with a shrug.

"Oh I don't feel obligated to like her, at all" Tayla snickered. Tyler rolled his eyes, pulling into the driveway. "I wonder if she's home..." Tayla trailed off, sighing.

"You know you can stay with us" Tyler reminded Tayla, who shook her head.

"I know, but I want to spend some time with my parents" Tayla told him firmly. "It's hard being away from them, you know?" and Tyler nodded, knowing all about it. He spent the majority of his adult life a big distance away from his parents and family; it got hard.

"I get it. I just want to make sure you're going to be okay" Tyler asserted.

"Can't say for sure I will be, you never know with Sarah in the house" Tayla rolled her eyes. She tried her best to laugh, though there was nothing funny about the situation. As much as she loved her parents, she wasn't certain coming home was the smartest thing to do; but it was too late to turn back now.

*************

"That's why I'm here" Jason continued, wondering if she was even going to believe him. "I know you're with Tyler now, but I just needed to tell you this; you deserve to know the man you're dating"

"I know Tyler" Tayla defended weakly. "I've known him my entire life. What could you possibly have to say that I wouldn't know?" she asked, feeling increasingly sober.

"I just thought you should know the reason- the REAL reason why we broke up" Jason told her. "It was Tyler" he dropped the bombshell.

"Beg your pardon?" Tayla asked, her heart racing. There was something about the way Jason was speaking that made her feel like he was telling the truth. But how? How was Tyler responsible for their breakup; and more importantly, why?

"He's the one who broke us up"

"Yeah fucking right" Tayla rolled her eyes. "Get the fuck out of here before-"

"Do you remember the day before?" Jason hurriedly asked, interrupting Tayla before she threatened to call the police on him. "How I inexplicably was going on the road for work?"

"Yeah..." Tayla trailed off, remembering the day so vividly it still hurt to think about. Jason had been told he was travelling for work, and had made an incredible date night to make up for the next few days he wasn't going to be home; that would be pretty inconsistent for someone planning on just upping and leaving.

"He got me out of the city. He got my number changed in your phone, to a number only one digit different than my actual phone number. He blocked my actual number, so anytime I tried to contact you, you obviously wouldn't answer. He got someone to move all my shit out, and sent me a message breaking up with me, and telling me where I could find my stuff" Jason told his story, feeling increasingly guilty.

"He actually broke us up?" Tayla asked softly; and Jason knew he had her.

"Tay? Tay!" their attention was diverted at the sound of her name.

"Not just us" Jason told her. He had learned of Tyler's activities with all of Tayla's boyfriends, after a chance run in with another one of her exes.

Tayla's heart practically shattered; was this true? Did Tyler meddle in her love life? Is that why all of her relationships always seemed to fail? It seemed far fetched; was Jason just jealous? Was he trying to come in between her and Tyler?

"Tay!" Tyler shouted worriedly, running towards her. His heart practically broke when he saw Jason, and Tayla's devastated facial expression. "I've been looking for you everywhere" he trailed off, looking like he had seen a ghost.

"Is it true?" Tayla asked him, and Tyler felt his world begin to fall apart. "Did you break us up?" Knowing he had no other choice, he nodded, putting his head down, ashamed. He felt an intense amount of sadness radiate through him, and he began to tear up.

"But I-"

"You actually did? You actually broke Jason and I up?" Tayla asked, outraged. She began to feel hot tears fall down her face. Tyler was also crying; he feared this day ever since he had broken up Tayla and her first boyfriend.

"Tayla, please-" Tyler tried to reason, but Tayla wanted to hear nothing of it.

"This is un-fucking-believable" Tayla scoffed, feeling rage intensify inside her. "The one person! You were the ONE person Ty that I've always trusted. That I thought always had my best interest in mind, that I thought would never do anything- especially to this degree, to hurt me" she fumed.

"It's only because I love you, Tay" Tyler tried to cut in, still crying. "I love you more than anything else in this world" he told her, but Tayla was too drunk and mad to take any of his words in.

"Fuck you, Tyler" Tayla spat, brushing past him. "Fuck you!" she shouted, wiping the tears away to try and walk through the party to her room.

****

Tayla woke up with a start, panting and sweating heavily. She looked around, wondering where she was, quickly realizing she was at home. It took her a moment to have everything sink back in. Once her breathing finally returned to a normal rate, she looked over to the clock; 5:37 a.m. She sighed, closing her eyes for a brief moment before getting up out of bed.

Tayla peeled off her clothes and hopped into the shower, feeling herself shaking from the dream she had had numerous times since finding out. The dream haunted her, and she wished it would just stop. Tyler wasn't aware she was having the dream; it was something she kept from him. She didn't want him to think she was having second thoughts about forgiving him. But was that what her subconscious was telling her?

Shaking the obnoxious thought from her head, she stepped out of the shower, getting dressed to go and grab herself a tea from the café not too far outside her neighborhood. It was a chilly December morning, but it was snowing; making it a beautiful, white, Christmas. She knew Tyler would be upset she went out walking by herself at 6 am, she couldn't help it; she needed to clear her head.

It seemed so much had happened in the last year of her life, and she was having a hard time processing it all. Between her breakup, move to Dallas, beginning to date Tyler, and everything that happened in between. She was expecting a child, something she wasn't entirely sure she was ready for... she was feeling overwhelmed. She didn't realize how quick the walk was until she ran into what seemed like a wall.

"Ouf- shit I'm so-" she began to apologize before she looked up and realized who was standing in front of her. "Jason?" she asked, a little surprised.