Inferno

~37~ Stupid

Ellie's POV

I go back downstairs, and I see Liam and Savannah still on the porch swing. I go out and sit next to them silently.

"Is it over?" She asks quietly.

"Yup"

"Can I see him?" She asks

"Yup" I say, kissing her head.

She gets off of Liam's lap and runs inside.

"We went inside at first to get a snack. Once she heard it she was scared out of her mind. We ended up coming back out."

I just nod.

Taylor doesn't come back for hours. I don't call him and he doesn't call me. I'm sure he and Greene went fishing. He was so upset I'm sure he just needed something.

He doesn't come home until around 9 that night. He definitely went fishing. I can smell it on his clothes.

He comes in and sits down at the table, not saying a word. Luke is watching TV with Emma, and he doesn't even acknowledge that Taylor walked in.

"Did you catch anything?" I ask gently, rubbing his shoulders.

He just nods

"Where's the loot?" I ask

"Gave it to Greene"

"How mad at me are you?" I ask, sitting down and grabbing his hand.

"I'm furious," he admits, looking hard into my eyes.

I just nod. "I was on his side until the last little bit," I say quietly.

"You weren't there Ellie. I didn't appreciate that. I don't know why you always feel like your word trumps mine," he says, looking at his hands.

"We've always been a team," I argue gently.

"No. You've been the Quarterback and I've been the water boy."

"That's not true and you know it" I say, grabbing his chin so he has to look at me.

"That's how it feels," he says, trying to avoid my stare.

"Well, I'm sorry I've made you feel that way. I remember several occasions in the last year that you took charge when I was against it. The soap? Spanking Emma?" I say, giving him two examples.

He sighs and puts his head in his hands. He knows I'm right. We've always been a team. He's just hurt and he's been blaming it on me all day.

"He didn't mean it," I say, whispering.

"Yes he did," he says, letting a tear fall down his cheek.

"After you left I made him go to his room. I went up there a while later to spank him, and I could tell he had been crying. He is devastated. He's barely talked all day" I say, kissing his cheek.

"You spanked him?" He asks, surprised.

I nod. "I was already going to after he said that to you. Once Sasha got home he went off on her and was being horrible. He broke a bowl. She hasn't come down all day."

Taylor clenches his jaw and shakes his head, but says nothing.

"I'm going to go take a shower," he says, squeezing my shoulder as he passes. He's not mad at me. I don't think he ever was. He's just hurt. Horribly.

Once he comes back down, he glances over to where Luke and Emma are sitting. Luke doesn't even look. Taylor just rolls his eyes and walks back to the kitchen, getting a soda from the fridge.