A Secret Shared - Chapter 14
Title: A Secret Shared
Author: eleflowerpot
Fandom: Hanson
Pairings: Taylor/ Zac, Isaac/ OFC
Summary: Sequel to ‘A Secret Kept’
Warnings: Some content may be adult
Chapter 14
Taylor’s POV
The past few weeks had been hard; an enforced holiday with Natalie and the kids, not seeing Zac and the weight of what I’d done still hanging over me. Yet more lies being fed to my family to explain away my facial bruising. And now I found myself here, the last place on earth I wanted to be.
“Daddy you’ve got to knock otherwise they’ll not know we’re here…honestly” the exasperation in my daughter’s voice undisguisable, something she’d picked up from her mother I was sure. I knocked, hoping to heaven that they were out and I’d be saved the awkwardness of the meeting. No such luck, I heard the key turning in the lock and was met by Isaac’s icy stare.
“Uncle Ike!” Penny squealed as she bounded towards him and grabbed him round the waist to hug him.
“Hey Pen, long time no see” he seemed brighter with her and bent down to hug her properly.
“Where’s Auntie Louisa? I’m well over-due a French lesson.” She stated this matter- of -factly, sounding older than her years. Isaac chuckled in response,
“She’s in the kitchen making dinner, why don’t you go and surprise her?” She didn’t need telling twice and ran off in the direction of the kitchen. Isaac rose to his feet, the sound of Penny’s squeals of delight coming through as she found her quarry.
“Why’re you here?” he asked, all trace of good humour now gone.
“You heard Penny, she wanted a French lesson…I would’ve called but…” I’d started out full of conviction in my voice but now there was none, I trailed off, not knowing what to expect from him next.
“I guess you better come in…I’ll phone Zac to come over, we might as well have a band meeting…” He disappeared into the house so I followed, the sound of Penny singing what I half recognised as a nursery rhyme coming from the kitchen. As I entered the lounge Isaac was on the phone. I settled myself on one end of the couch, feeling like I didn’t belong.
“He’ll be about 10 minutes” and with that he left. I was assuming into the kitchen as there was no noise on the stairs. I stayed where I was and looked round the familiar, yet now strangely alien room. Things had changed in here. There were photos missing, lots of photos. As my eyes scanned the room the realisation hit me, all the photos that had had me in them were gone. There was one that used to be on the mantelpiece of the three of us holding a platinum disc from Middle Of Nowhere, their wedding photo from the vow renewal that had the groomsmen and bridesmaids on, and the one of myself, Zac and Louisa covered in cake after a food fight…all of them were gone. He’d wanted to erase any trace of me from his home. This fact struck me hard. He may have allowed me into his home but not because he wanted me here, purely because he felt like he had to, his good manners winning out. Relief swept over me when I heard the knock at the door. At least Zac would be with me for moral support. A few moments later they both entered the room, my heart leapt as Zac sat next to me. He was tanned and it suited him, desire unravelling in my stomach. He placed a hand on my knee and squeezed slightly, offering me a quick, sympathetic smile while Isaac still had his back turned. As he sat on the chair opening his laptop Zac shifted so that there was more of a gap between us. His brow was furrowed and I suspected it was down to my unscheduled arrival. He’d started droning on about a set we were doing at a festival next week, Zac was interjecting with suggestions but I remained silent, aware that my presence was being barely tolerated. They’d gone on to talk about the shows in Canada now and the Australian tour, my ears pricked up at this, originally Louisa was coming too and I wondered if that would still be the case. She was ridiculously organised so we really did need her with us but I doubted Isaac would want her to be in such close proximity to me.
“So we need to make the second MOE different cause they’ll be people who are coming to both…” Isaac was showing Zac something, a setlist I presumed. I inched closer to Zac who was now on the opposite end of the couch, leaning in so I could see the screen too.
“I think it’s good, although the set’d flow better if we switched around these two.” Zac pointed to something on the screen, Isaac nodded in agreement then looked up to me,
“What do you think Tay?” I was dumbstruck that he’d addressed me. Unable to believe that he was acknowledging that I too was part of this band, let alone asking my opinion about something.
“Yeah, I agree with Zac” I croaked. He held my gaze as he spoke to me again,
“You don’t need to be scared of me, I’m not gonna thump you again.” He forced a smile but I could see in his eyes that his words were genuine. Before I could respond he continued,
“We need to move on Tay, for the band, for us…I’m not saying that I forgive you, but I can at least try and understand why…we want things to try and get back to the way they were…well, with the exception of you actually including me in things, I always feel so left out, like you don’t trust me…” He trailed off, now staring at his hands rather than at me. I was in shock, it must be Louisa’s influence that he was saying this. Zac could sense the atmosphere in the room change so he spoke on my behalf.
“No, don’t think that at all. It’s just that you seem so busy sometimes…we just don’t wanna bother you with stuff. But from now we will, won’t we?” he looked expectantly at me and I nodded my head, raising my eyes to meet Isaac’s and finding what looked like relief in there.
We were interrupted from continuing by the whirlwind that was my daughter bursting into the room and jumping into my lap.
“Ow, Penny, watch where you’re jumping” I scolded.
“No more kids for you.” Zac chuckled in response. She took no notice, placed her arms round my neck and looked at me with pleading eyes,
“Please can I stay for dinner daddy, please?”
“It’s not really up to me…” No sooner had I spoke than she leapt off my knee and threw herself at Isaac.
“Please Uncle Ike?” I could tell she was giving him her most innocent face as his broad smile broke out immediately.
“Course you can.”
“Yippee!” And with that she ran back to the kitchen.
“You might as well both stay too, Lou always makes too much.” I didn’t know if I was ready to face her but there was no way I was turning down her cooking. She was amazing, and by the smell it was Mexican. Besides, all I had to look forward to at home was whatever I could salvage from the freezer. Natalie hated cooking at the best of times, but when pregnant it was a case of ‘fend for yourself’.
We talked some more about details for the shows and Zac showed Isaac some lyrics that he’d written during his break. But I could focus on none of it, the utter dread of coming face to face with her, knowing what I’d done the last time I’d seen her… I began to feel sick, bile rising in my throat. I rushed to the downstairs bathroom and heaved. Nothing, nothing but self-loathing and abhorrence. I splashed my face with cold water and dabbed it dry. Looking in the mirror my pale features stared back. I’d aged. There were wrinkles appearing and my bruises were still there although now almost gone. I sighed deeply, wondering how we would ever get back to things being the way they were. The studio would always be a constant reminder. I made a mental note to mention finding a new place, bigger, newer, and untainted. As I opened the door I came face to face with Louisa, all colour draining from her face in an instant.
Author: eleflowerpot
Fandom: Hanson
Pairings: Taylor/ Zac, Isaac/ OFC
Summary: Sequel to ‘A Secret Kept’
Warnings: Some content may be adult
Chapter 14
Taylor’s POV
The past few weeks had been hard; an enforced holiday with Natalie and the kids, not seeing Zac and the weight of what I’d done still hanging over me. Yet more lies being fed to my family to explain away my facial bruising. And now I found myself here, the last place on earth I wanted to be.
“Daddy you’ve got to knock otherwise they’ll not know we’re here…honestly” the exasperation in my daughter’s voice undisguisable, something she’d picked up from her mother I was sure. I knocked, hoping to heaven that they were out and I’d be saved the awkwardness of the meeting. No such luck, I heard the key turning in the lock and was met by Isaac’s icy stare.
“Uncle Ike!” Penny squealed as she bounded towards him and grabbed him round the waist to hug him.
“Hey Pen, long time no see” he seemed brighter with her and bent down to hug her properly.
“Where’s Auntie Louisa? I’m well over-due a French lesson.” She stated this matter- of -factly, sounding older than her years. Isaac chuckled in response,
“She’s in the kitchen making dinner, why don’t you go and surprise her?” She didn’t need telling twice and ran off in the direction of the kitchen. Isaac rose to his feet, the sound of Penny’s squeals of delight coming through as she found her quarry.
“Why’re you here?” he asked, all trace of good humour now gone.
“You heard Penny, she wanted a French lesson…I would’ve called but…” I’d started out full of conviction in my voice but now there was none, I trailed off, not knowing what to expect from him next.
“I guess you better come in…I’ll phone Zac to come over, we might as well have a band meeting…” He disappeared into the house so I followed, the sound of Penny singing what I half recognised as a nursery rhyme coming from the kitchen. As I entered the lounge Isaac was on the phone. I settled myself on one end of the couch, feeling like I didn’t belong.
“He’ll be about 10 minutes” and with that he left. I was assuming into the kitchen as there was no noise on the stairs. I stayed where I was and looked round the familiar, yet now strangely alien room. Things had changed in here. There were photos missing, lots of photos. As my eyes scanned the room the realisation hit me, all the photos that had had me in them were gone. There was one that used to be on the mantelpiece of the three of us holding a platinum disc from Middle Of Nowhere, their wedding photo from the vow renewal that had the groomsmen and bridesmaids on, and the one of myself, Zac and Louisa covered in cake after a food fight…all of them were gone. He’d wanted to erase any trace of me from his home. This fact struck me hard. He may have allowed me into his home but not because he wanted me here, purely because he felt like he had to, his good manners winning out. Relief swept over me when I heard the knock at the door. At least Zac would be with me for moral support. A few moments later they both entered the room, my heart leapt as Zac sat next to me. He was tanned and it suited him, desire unravelling in my stomach. He placed a hand on my knee and squeezed slightly, offering me a quick, sympathetic smile while Isaac still had his back turned. As he sat on the chair opening his laptop Zac shifted so that there was more of a gap between us. His brow was furrowed and I suspected it was down to my unscheduled arrival. He’d started droning on about a set we were doing at a festival next week, Zac was interjecting with suggestions but I remained silent, aware that my presence was being barely tolerated. They’d gone on to talk about the shows in Canada now and the Australian tour, my ears pricked up at this, originally Louisa was coming too and I wondered if that would still be the case. She was ridiculously organised so we really did need her with us but I doubted Isaac would want her to be in such close proximity to me.
“So we need to make the second MOE different cause they’ll be people who are coming to both…” Isaac was showing Zac something, a setlist I presumed. I inched closer to Zac who was now on the opposite end of the couch, leaning in so I could see the screen too.
“I think it’s good, although the set’d flow better if we switched around these two.” Zac pointed to something on the screen, Isaac nodded in agreement then looked up to me,
“What do you think Tay?” I was dumbstruck that he’d addressed me. Unable to believe that he was acknowledging that I too was part of this band, let alone asking my opinion about something.
“Yeah, I agree with Zac” I croaked. He held my gaze as he spoke to me again,
“You don’t need to be scared of me, I’m not gonna thump you again.” He forced a smile but I could see in his eyes that his words were genuine. Before I could respond he continued,
“We need to move on Tay, for the band, for us…I’m not saying that I forgive you, but I can at least try and understand why…we want things to try and get back to the way they were…well, with the exception of you actually including me in things, I always feel so left out, like you don’t trust me…” He trailed off, now staring at his hands rather than at me. I was in shock, it must be Louisa’s influence that he was saying this. Zac could sense the atmosphere in the room change so he spoke on my behalf.
“No, don’t think that at all. It’s just that you seem so busy sometimes…we just don’t wanna bother you with stuff. But from now we will, won’t we?” he looked expectantly at me and I nodded my head, raising my eyes to meet Isaac’s and finding what looked like relief in there.
We were interrupted from continuing by the whirlwind that was my daughter bursting into the room and jumping into my lap.
“Ow, Penny, watch where you’re jumping” I scolded.
“No more kids for you.” Zac chuckled in response. She took no notice, placed her arms round my neck and looked at me with pleading eyes,
“Please can I stay for dinner daddy, please?”
“It’s not really up to me…” No sooner had I spoke than she leapt off my knee and threw herself at Isaac.
“Please Uncle Ike?” I could tell she was giving him her most innocent face as his broad smile broke out immediately.
“Course you can.”
“Yippee!” And with that she ran back to the kitchen.
“You might as well both stay too, Lou always makes too much.” I didn’t know if I was ready to face her but there was no way I was turning down her cooking. She was amazing, and by the smell it was Mexican. Besides, all I had to look forward to at home was whatever I could salvage from the freezer. Natalie hated cooking at the best of times, but when pregnant it was a case of ‘fend for yourself’.
We talked some more about details for the shows and Zac showed Isaac some lyrics that he’d written during his break. But I could focus on none of it, the utter dread of coming face to face with her, knowing what I’d done the last time I’d seen her… I began to feel sick, bile rising in my throat. I rushed to the downstairs bathroom and heaved. Nothing, nothing but self-loathing and abhorrence. I splashed my face with cold water and dabbed it dry. Looking in the mirror my pale features stared back. I’d aged. There were wrinkles appearing and my bruises were still there although now almost gone. I sighed deeply, wondering how we would ever get back to things being the way they were. The studio would always be a constant reminder. I made a mental note to mention finding a new place, bigger, newer, and untainted. As I opened the door I came face to face with Louisa, all colour draining from her face in an instant.