Tranquil Falls

Cut Him Loose

I got off the bus at the last stop on the outskirts of town. I walked the rest of the way, tramping through the forest. The sun was starting to set. By now, Finley had probably told my parents that I had taken off. They'd realized my phone had been abandoned. The cops had probably been called. They'd check the graveyard and then work their way through my friends. That shouldn't take too long. There wasn't a lot of them to go through.

They'd sit at home, stewing while they waited for me to come back. I wasn't going to, though. I'd made that decision on the bus. There was no going back this time. I didn't have to deal with their shit. I didn't have to sleep in the room where Taylor started this downward spiral. I didn't need to sleep down the hall from his room full of memories.

I stopped walking and pulled the sweatshirt out of my backpack. When I had stuffed it in there that morning, I hadn't planned on doing what I was doing now. I'd planned to toss it in a dumpster where my parents couldn't find it.

Now, though, I pulled it on. My clothes were soaked through and the temperature was starting to drop. I didn't feel the cold, though. My body was already numb.

I started walking again. It wouldn't be too much longer before I got there. Only one other person who was alive knew about this place. I was hoping that he wouldn't think about it until it was too late.

I passed through the clearing and paused, staring ahead at where I knew the small abandoned cabin was. I swallowed hard and forced myself forward. I stuffed my hands into the hoodie pockets and swallowed the lump in my throat as I walked onto the small porch, careful of the hole that Taylor had made when we'd come there.

I lifted the latch on the door and stepped into the dark building. It smelled mustier than it had before. I rummaged in my backpack for my lighter. Carefully, I felt for the candles that had once been on the rotting table. I grasped one and lit it with my lighter.

In the dim light, I could see the small cot with the musty, moth-eaten blanket. There was a broken fridge and a small stove. I set the candle down on the table and wrapped my arms around my stomach.

It'd been nine months since I'd stepped foot in the cabin. I stared at the cot, trying to keep the bile that threatened to erupt at bay. I forced myself to look away.

I'd spent all the time trying to forget about that night. All that time trying to think about anything else, focusing on what had been good between Taylor and I. There were good parts, no doubt about it. Even when he was forcing me and I felt like I was always on edge, there were times when I caught a glimpse of the old Taylor. Not really the old Taylor, but the Taylor that I had thought I knew.

Like that night.

That night, for whatever reason, he'd been like the Taylor I'd grown up with for just a little bit.

I sat down on the floor and pulled out a notebook. It was time to tell the truth.

x.x.x

Taylor draped his arm over my shoulders as we walked towards the sound of the party. I forced a smile on my face to try to match the grin on his.

"Tonight's going to be fucking amazing, Gatlin. Lots of people we don't know. Low key. No pressure. Time to let off some steam," he said, smacking me lightly on the chest. "We're going to have a good time."

"God I hope so," I told him with a groan. "I feel like everyone is up my ass lately."

"I hope not," he said, laughing. I grimaced. I should have thought about that a little more. "Look, let's just cut loose and have a good time." He let go of me to take my hand, entwining his fingers through mine. "It'll be the guys from the house and that'll be the only people we know." He paused, pulling me towards him. "Just...tonight, can you be just mine? Not Finley or whoever else you want to fuck? I know we're not exclusive, but I want this to be our night."