Summer Lovin: A Tayler Holder Story

23- Detective Sanzone

You knew you'd need to confront Tayler eventually but until you had enough answers to rule him out… you couldn't find words for him. Halfway home, you noticed the detective pulling off any route you recognized. You felt your nerves bubbling up until he pulled into the drive thru lane of a local burger and fries place.

Sanzone: "Can I get a burger and fries, and…"

He looked to you but you just shook your head. You hadn't had much of an appetite in days. He smiled before turning back to the speaker and adding:
"Make that 2 of each… and add a chocolate shake."

You: "I'm really not that hungr-"

Sanzone: "Look me in the eyes and tell me you've eaten today."

You turned to look out the window, hoping he didn't read your mind to know it'd been much longer than today since you'd eaten real food. You took a few bites to be polite but before you knew better, you'd chomped down to crumbs. Detective Sanzone smile at you as he kept driving, not daring to point out he was right.

You: *softening*
"Thank you for not telling my parents about Tayler."

Sanzone: "I think you made the right choice avoiding him today."

He carried on, seemingly answering your facial expression:
"We know he's connected to her somehow."

You: "W- What do you mean?"

Sanzone: "I don't know but I know you're keeping a bigger secret than a summer romance."

You: "The only thing I did this summer was lose my best friend and a boy I thought was different than the one I'd just run from."

Sanzone: "Not every guy is like them, ya know."

You: "I don't know about that."

Sanzone: "You're young but you'll learn."

You: "All I've learned is I'm not the first girl who has fallen in love with an fboy who ended up being exactly what I was warned about... including being capable of sneaking around with your best friend." 

Sanzone: "Is that what happened? Was Tayler also seeing Dixie?"

You: "I found out the night she went missing that they'd had a thing last summer."

Sanzone: "How did that make you feel?"

You: "Don't read too much into it. I didn’t off my best friend just because we loved the same boy. This isn’t a lifetime movie."

Sanzone chuckled at your reference then asked:
"Was it still going on?"

You: "I don’t think so. I don’t know. To be honest, I didn’t even know they had been a thing last summer until it was too late to ask questions."

Sanzone: "What about her complications with your last boyfriend?"
 
Sanzone had pulled up in front of your house but you sat frozen in the front seat. You didn't realize he knew about Noah specifically and Dixie and you weren't sure how to respond.

You: *exaggerating*
"That is ancient history. I don't know about for them but I'm long over it."

Sanzone seemed to accept the explanation and offered:
"Do you need me to stay until your parents get home?"

You: "No. I think I'll be okay… beside they won't be too long, I'm sure."

He gave you a soft hug and promised:
"Just to be safe I'm going to call an officer to park outside. Everything is going to be okay." 

You let yourself lower your guard for the first time as you squeezed back, hugging him tightly.