Taylor: The Greatest Liar (Short Story)

Last week I posted my first short story based on the characters from my book series (RED Tragedies Series or A Tragic Heart Series, whatever you want to call it) and here I am this week with a new one. You can view the one from last week here (Peyton: The One) before reading this one if you want. As I stated in my initial post about the short stories they will be posted in no particular order and can fit any book.

This week the story comes from Taylor's point of view and if it belonged to a book it would belong to A Tragic Heart (Book 1 of the series). It's entitled "The Greatest Liar" and would fit perfectly with the triangle that happens between Taylor, Mason, and Peyton. Enjoy!

Listen to "The Greatest Bastard" by Damien Rice while reading:

https://soundcloud.com/damienrice/the-greatest-bastard

Taylor: The Greatest Liar

            Sometimes I wonder if we’re really in control of our decisions or if fate forces us to do what we do. Either way we have to pay the consequences. I guess life is unfair that way. I let one single tear fall before opening the door to our apartment. This used to be the only place that put a smile on my face after a hard day and now I can’t even call it my safe haven. It’s been built upon lies.

            I fake a smile towards the once “love of my life”. He really did keep his promise about trying to be a better man for me even after the infidelity and the whole getting another girl pregnant thing. The problem is that I just couldn’t forgive him as easily as I thought I could. It hurts all the time, just the same.

            He smiles back at me and pulls me into a hug as he kisses me softly on the cheek. He was lying across the couch watching a game he probably didn’t even care about. It was just something to pass the time until I came home.

            I told him I had something to take care of with Jackson since he came back to town. I told him he only had a week here and I wanted to spend time with my brother. It was a lie…all of it. Jackson is really in town but I wasn’t spending time with him…I was with Peyton. Mason knows Peyton and I are best friends but he would even find it weird that I chose to spend the entire night with him on a day we had a date planned. Truth is I would rather spend my time with Peyton at his place than go out into the real world with Mason. The biggest problem about that is Mason’s my husband and Peyton’s his closest cousin. Guilt consumes me once more.

            “How’s my love?” Mason asks with a grin. He’s been extraordinarily welcoming lately.

            “I’m good,” I lie.

            “I was thinking since you canceled our date maybe we could pull an all-nighter and watch a few movies over junk food. I bought your favorite cheesecake from your favorite bakery.”

            He flashes me his puppy dog eyes and I can’t decline that. He’s really trying. He’s really sorry. I wish I could say the same about myself. 

            “I’d love that, Mason,” I reply in a soft voice. “Just let me take a quick shower first.”

            I walk past him hoping he doesn’t ask why I need a shower. Honestly, I feel dirty after spending the night loving Peyton just to come home and fake it with his cousin. Mason and I had a good run but it’s over…I just can’t fully let him go. I’m doing to him what he did to me first but I think I’m the greatest liar in this situation. 

            Eventually I’m going to tell him; I’m just trying to figure out how and when. This is going to crush him more than it crushed me. At least Lauren wasn’t a friend or a family member. Peyton is practically his brother. They were raised together and even grew up in the same household. They took on the world together since forever and here I am breaking up one of the greatest bonds that ever existed. The stories of Mason and Peyton are legendary…but this one is going to go down as the most iconic. 

I strip off my clothes and turn on the shower. The moment the warm water hits my face I let the tears fall. How could Mason cheat on me for so long without it affecting him like this? It’s only been about two weeks since Peyton and I started this affair and I feel like I’m already breaking. 

I tried to justify my actions by remembering that I probably was always in love with Peyton from the start and just didn’t realize it. Peyton recently told me he was in love with me from the first time we ever spoke to each other. He saw me around from time to time and always thought I was his type of girl, he just never acted and Mason got there first. I thought Mason was all I ever wanted but once I got to know Peyton, I saw just how wrong I was. It was fate.

That’s exactly what I want to tell Mason when I break him the news. I want to tell him that it was fate that brought Peyton and I together. Our bad decisions weren’t ours at all but it was something in this cosmic universe that conspired to put us together before time even started. We’re soulmates and as foolish as it sounds it must be true because we both felt the attraction the moment we stood in front of each other. Peyton wasn’t just meant to be my best friend…he was always more. I’m his extra rib and Mason…Mason is the pawn that was played to bring us together. Maybe if I explained it this way Mason would understand and wouldn’t be as hurt; but even I know that’s not true.

I turn off the shower water and step out. I wipe off the foggy mirror in the bathroom to take a good look at myself. I still look intact and Mason wouldn’t suspect a thing. I hurry and head straight to our bedroom to get dressed. I throw on one of Mason’s t-shirts and walk back into the living room. He bites his bottom lip as I sit next to him.

“I always liked that shirt on you,” he says coming closer.

“I know, that’s why I wore it,” I reply as I forced him to cuddle with me. 

His skin is always so warm and something about that makes me feel like everything is going to be okay. Part of me wants Mason forever but I know I have to make a choice…or maybe the universe has already done that for me. In the end, I don’t think the choice is really mine at all. I was made for Peyton and Peyton was made for me; but for the time being I’ll just enjoy the movie and cheesecake with Mason.

           

Find out more about Mason and Taylor in the RED Tragedies series here! Mason appears in A Tragic Heart, RED, Turn It Off (Coming Soon), and What Could've Been (Coming Soon). Taylor appears in A Tragic Heart, Turn It Off and What Could've Been.