Captivated By You- TAYVIS

~chapter 4~

Alexus's POV (Jan 15, 2024)
I'm at my dad's tonight. My best friend Skylar is in my bedroom sleeping. I should be asleep too, but I can't stop overthinking things. I sneak out of my room and wander downstairs. It's 1:13 am.

"Lou? What are you doing up, honey?" Lou. My step mom's nickname for me. Short for Lexi Lou, another nickname. I look over at my stepmom, who is sitting at the kitchen counter drinking wine with the dogs. It's strange for her to be up this late drinking. "Umm.. I was just thinking about something. I can't sleep so I came to get some ice water. What are you doing still up? And..drinking wine?" I push the questions off onto her.

She refills her glass, "Your dad and I got into it." I sit down next to her, "Do you wanna talk about it? I know I'm his daughter, but I will still hear you out. You're a mom to me." She gives me a light smile, "Thanks honey, but I'd rather not." She takes another sip of wine before looking at me again. "Now, tell me what's got you unable to sleep at 1 in the morning on a school night?"

I sigh, "Promise me you won't judge my mom?" Tay raises an eyebrow, "What did your mom do?" I grab a glass of ice water to busy myself, but I continue talking. "She has a boyfriend. Hid it from me for 10 months." Tay bites her lip, "Is he a good guy?" I nod, "Travis." Tay gasps, "Kelce?" I nod again. "That's amazing!" She smiles. But when she sees my expression, the smile fades, "Not amazing. Lou, tell me, what's bothering you?"

"I can't lose her!" I say, loudly. "Lose your mom? Baby, that's never gonna happen," Tay tells me. "Skylar! I can't lose Skylar!" I sigh. "Have you talked to her about it?" She asks. "No, not really. I'm afraid of what she would say. I think she'd hate to know I feel this way," I say, earnestly.

"She'd be upset with you right? She wouldn't want you to worry about that?" Tay asks. I nod my head. "Then why are you worrying about it Lou? If you afraid that she's gonna be upset that you'd think that. Why are you thinking it?"

"They're our parents, Tay. My mom, her dad. Travis is all she has," I say. "And your mom is the only mother figure she has," Tay adds. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and a tear slips from my eye, "I didn't think of that. That makes it so much worse." Tay wipes my tears away, "Lou.."

Before she can say anything else I throw my glass of water at the wall and I watch as it shatters. Instead of scolding me, Tay pulls me into her arms and holds me tight. I cry into her chest. Ashamed. Ashamed that I'm 13 years old and can't keep my life together. Ashamed that my step mom has to see me falling apart. Ashamed that my mom is dating my bestfriends dad. Ashamed of who I am. Ashamed that I just threw a glass at the wall. Ashamed.

"Taylor Renee! Why are you throwing things!?" My dad yells as he walks downstairs. He seems mad. I pissed him off. And he's going to blame it on Tay. His wife. The sweetest woman I have ever known. "Don't yell at her dad it was me!" I sob out. He takes a deep breath, "Alexus Marjorie, it is 1:30, you have school in the morning."

"No she doesn't," Tay is quick to say. "Yes she does," my dad groans. "Taylor, I don't care how mad you are, she's not going to school tomorrow. She's staying home. End of discussion," My stepmom declares.

"You don't get to make that decision. You aren't her mom. You aren't anything to her accept her step mom. Most people hate their stepmoms. I'm her dad. I make the decisions. Alexus is going to school," he says.

"Don't talk to her like that! She might not be my mom legally, but she's definitely another mom in my heart. Just because you're clearly drunk, doesn't mean you get to talk to your wife like she means nothing. I don't care about school right now dad! Do you even care how I'm feeling? You're gonna scold me for breaking glass and being awake. But you aren't even the slightest bit concerned on why I'm awake?" I am furious, "Why don't you care about me!? Why do you have to be such an asshole!?"

"Alexus, go to bed. We'll talk tomorrow," he tells me. He starts to clean up the glass. I shake my head as tears stream down my cheeks, "Daddy..I'm sorry." He takes a deep breath and kisses my forehead, "I'm sorry too. Thank you for talking to Tay about whatever it is that's bothering you. We can talk in the morning. I love you so much. Try to get some sleep."

I run upstairs to my room. But when I turn the slightest to look back, my dad's fist hits the wall. "Tay, I'm failing her," he groans.

"You are a disappointment Alexus Marjorie Lautner-Swift," I whisper to myself.