Poker Face ✔

Chapter 58

"Well," Michael asked in his white T-shirt, black jumper and grey joggers, "what do you think?"

"I think...." Uncle Jared trailed off.

"We need to find her" Jack ordered, "what do we know so far?"

"She took off five days ago" Michael started, "Kelly Carter saw her in London last night in a fist fight before Taylor got into a truck"

"This is the fourth time she's disappeared in the last six months" John pointed out "where do you think she's been going?"

"Where is she?" Uncle Jared started, "where would Taylor be?"

"Right here" I waved with a tobacco filled cigarette in my mouth and nothing to lose.

My family stood around the kitchen table whilst Chace poured them all a cup of coffee.

It was August 2009 at that point; Vanessa had given birth to her second son whom they named Harry. John only just made it home for his birth.

"Where the fuck have you been?" Michael screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Out with the queen oh by the way she sends her regards" I flashed him a smart ass grin whilst raising a brow devilishly.

That was code for you're not gonna get a straight answer out of me.

I then spotted Jack amongst the crowd; we were still together but the last six months consisted of our relationship being on hold. He was trying I guess and I was acting as if I was too.

"Taylor!" Uncle Jared repeated in frustration.

With that I climbed up the staircase; the last six months I had been searching for my mother, the woman that left when I was three years old and hadn't spoken to since.

"We're trying" John sighed as stopping me in the hallway.

"Don't you have a wife and kids to get back to John" I raised a brow.

"When did you become such a brat?" John snapped, "we are all trying to help you here and you're just pushing us all away"

"Maybe you guys should learn to take a hint" I hissed "if I need help I'll ask for it"

With that, I entered my room and shut the door. Images popped into my head; I had a photographic memory, therefore there was no need to write things down.

29 Ambusher Drive Canada
556 Otello St Rome
994 Cleo Av Greece
465 Jefferson drive North Carolina

These were all of my mother's addresses that I had managed to find in the last six months.

Her name was Paige Ricci; that's all I knew about her. That and she's manipulative.

2009; boy was that a year. Paige Ricci was the target. She was just one of several old ghosts my family and I had to face that year.

It had been my twentieth birthday two days prior. I celebrated by gallivanting around Rome searching for my mother.

A few minutes later a boy met me in my bedroom. I sat on my tiled bedroom floor; with my cigarette in one hand and a jewellery box in the other.

"Take it," I ordered as taking a drag of my cigarette.

"You know I can't" Chace sighed.

"Come on...it wouldn't be the first time" I pointed out with a half smile.

"Thank you" he struggled to smile as taking the eighteen hundred dollar Jewellery box containing thousands of dollars worth of watches. "You know, I haven't worked you out yet"

"What do you mean?" I raised a brow.

"You give me these expensive gifts...hand me downs...why?" Chace asked.

"its just money" I narrow my eyes whilst taking another drag, "I can have anything I want...a mansion...a personal slave if that's what I really wanted...that's why I like you...you don't have money to corrupt you"

"So you think you're doing something noble by giving me all your old things" he asked me.

"They're just things...I sure as hell don't want them" I admitted.

"I can see that" he nodded, "you know they're worried about you"

"They don't need to be" I rolled my eyes.

"Hey those people love you" Chace reminded me.

"They don't love me! They love these things" I wave my hands around the room and around the jewellery box "they love the idea of a golden child willing to give up everything for this family but that's not me Chace"

"Is that what you really think? They spend sleepless nights worrying about your wellbeing...Corrupt families who care about money over their children don't do that Ta...Believe me, I've been there...they love you...take my word for it"

At that moment I laid my head on to his chest. "Sometimes...It doesn't feel like it" I admitted.

"Believe me Ta..." he lowered his voice as looking down at me, "I'm the one making the coffee at three in the morning...they care and it's driving them nuts seeing you this way"

"I feel like I'm losing my mind" I whispered "...I want to find her"

"Who?" He wrapped his arms around me.

"Paige Ricci" I sighed "my mother"