1 (jaylor) wisteria hearts and caged folk songs

chapter twenty eight.

Joe's heart shattered when he saw her standing there. She was standing there, in black leggings and a hoodie, her arms crossed against her chest. She wasn't supposed to be here. She looked exhausted. She looked broken. Joe couldn't believe she'd found him. This wasn't supposed to happen. Who knew what Adam would do to her? Adam seized the opportunity to catch him off guard, knocking him over. What was she doing here? This wasn't part of the plan - fuck. She was supposed to be home and safe.
"Adam, get the fuck off of him." Taylor had a fire in her voice that Joe had never heard before. Joe shoved him off of him. Taylor wasn't scared and he could see it written all over her face. He felt so proud of her - even though she shouldn't be here. Her voice wasn't even trembling a tiny bit.
"Taylor-" He started but Taylor wouldn't hear it. Joe knew that she'd be mad at him for this, he'd expected it.
"What the fuck, Adam?" Taylor wasn't backing down. Not this time.
"It was his idea," Adam spat. "He's not just some pretty schoolboy, Taylor. He's not what you think." Taylor was just relieved that they'd both stopped fighting.
"Stop this, Adam," Taylor told him calmly. "You need to leave."
"No. If I win this - then he's going to leave you. And I'm going to win this. So back off and let me fight him." Taylor turned her head to look at Joe and turned her head to see him looking down at the ground. That's really what he'd said? She couldn't believe it. He wouldn't do that, would he? He couldn't be that stupid - no. Not stupid. He wasn't stupid and he wouldn't have done this unless he knew he could win. He'd have done this to protect her, not to show off to Adam.
"No." Taylor felt strong. He'd broken her too many times now, and she was tired of it. "No." She was so fucking tired of feeling broken. Of the darkness. She was so fucking angry. This man that was standing in front of her had taken everything from her. Taken every scrap of herself that she had and had thrown it from the precipice. But today, she was going to get those parts back. They wouldn't be his anymore.
"I wouldn't lie to you, baby. That's what he fucking said."
"Don't fucking call me that-" Taylor wrenched her arm away from him as he tried to reach for her.
"Come on, Alwyn. Finish what you started." Adam launched himself towards Joe, but Taylor shoved him backwards.
"I told you to fucking leave, Adam. Leave." She'd never felt such fire within her, never felt like for once she might actually be able to stand up to him. He'd robbed her of everything and she'd had enough of it. She couldn't put up with it anymore.
"No." He cursed. "You used to love me-"
"That wasn't love!" She cried out. "I might have loved you once, a long time ago. But now, I wouldn't care if I never fucking saw you again."
"You don't mean that, baby." Adam took a couple of steps toward her, and this time she didn't back down.
"I do. I mean it more than anything I've ever said before, Adam." She argued bitterly, and in the heat of the moment, she struck him across the face. "I meant it with everything I am. I don't want you to ever fucking try and get to me again." She yelled. The worst part of it all - this actually felt good.
"Baby-" She slammed her hands into his chest, shoving him against the wall. "Baby, I'm sorry-"
"Leave me alone!" Taylor hissed. "I don't want to fucking see you, Adam. Stop this. Stop all of it." When he tried to speak again, she hit him. She hit his chest - not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to get him to be quiet. "I mean it. If I have to go public about every inch of our relationship, then believe me," she warned, "I fucking will, okay? If I see you ever again, I will go to the media."
"You wouldn't do that-" He had stopped fighting against her.
"I would." And she would. "Leave me alone." Her voice was so strong, so powerful in a way that it had never, ever been before. "Don't you dare try and make contact with me, or anyone in my family.  If I hear that you have - I'll tell them all about what you did. I'll tell them about the times you'd never listen when I said no. About the people, you assault in the bars and then pay them enough money to keep their mouths shut. About the girl who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I know too much about you, Adam. I know what you're like. I'll tell them about it all. I have photos on my phone of every single bruise you ever fucking gave me."
She couldn't believe what she was doing right now.
"Baby-" Adam tried to touch her cheek, but she pushed his hand away. She slapped him.
"Don't call me that." He deserved this. She hit him again and again until she couldn't see straight. "I mean it, Adam. Stay the fuck away from me and the people I love. Tomorrow, you'll move your stuff out of my apartment and I never want to see you again. Find somewhere else to live, for all I care. You can't stay there anymore. It's mine." Joe had pulled her away from him now, as Adam had slumped to the ground. She wanted to hurt him more, she really did. She was so mad, and he wasn't even fighting back. He didn't answer her. "Tell me you'll leave me alone." She kneeled down beside him. His face was read, and she could see that he was confused as to where her anger was coming from. He still didn't say a word. "Tell me you'll leave me alone!" She shrieked. "Tell me, Adam."
"Okay- okay!" Adam held his hands up.
"Say it."
"I'll leave you alone." He murmured. Taylor pulled him upwards.
"I swear to god if you tell anyone about this," she paused, looking him up and down. What was she doing? "I'll come back with everything you've ever done to me. I'm going to fight back, Adam. I will fight back. Your career will be ruined. If you tell a single soul about what happened tonight," She really was doing this. "Then... who knows what I'm capable of doing." She let him go and watched as his body slumped to the ground again. She couldn't describe this feeling. So many times it was her. She was the one on the ground with his threats. And now, here she was. She was the one with the power, for once in their relationship."Go to hell."
She stepped backwards, meeting Joe's chest. She still had words to say to Joe - but she couldn't even form a sentence right now. Joe took her hand and lead her from the building. Taylor put her hood back up.