Scars

Part 15

(Taylor)

Maddie's POV:

"What do you want to do today?" Taylor asked me, as she kissed my lips.  

"Anything, really", I said, getting out of bed. "But this afternoon, I  have to stop at my sister's house to drop off some things.   Some clothes I'm getting rid of, she said she wants to look at them before I throw them out."

"Ok, that's fine", she said, getting out of bed too. 

"Her and Nikki are grilling out today, too.  So If you want to go for lunch, we can do that too."

And just then, Taylor hesitated.

"What's wrong?", I asked, as I went into the bathroom to freshen up, as she followed behind me and did the same. 

"Just as long as your crazy ex isn't going to be there."

And unexpectedly, her saying that... well, it kinda bothered me.  In a weird kind of way.  Because it wasn't true.  I mean, Alyssa was a lot of things.  And she had her moments, where she didn't act right, and she could be extremely immature.  So don't get me wrong.  I don't think anyone could argue that Alyssa was perfect.  Because she wasn't.   But she wasn't crazy.  She just ACTED crazy sometimes.  That was all.  

"She's not crazy.  She just doesn't always act right.  And sometimes her emotions get the best of her.  But she's not crazy."

"Well she sure seems like it to me.  I mean, I only met her once and... well, I don't even know what that was.  That... display."

"I know, I know", I agreed.  Because needless to say, Alyssa hadn't made the best first impression on Taylor.   That went without saying.  But still, she wasn't crazy.

"I know she didn't act right, but I still don't think she's crazy."

"I don't know.  She seemed like it to me.  And has she always had that much of a temper?"

And again, I sort of had the feeling that I needed to, in some weird sense, stick up for Alyssa.  Sort of.  In a weird kind of way.  That I needed to almost defend her.  Because, quite honestly, I felt like Taylor didn't really understand Alyssa.  Not the way that I did.  Alyssa had her faults.  Yes.  I'd be the first to admit that.   But underneath all of her flaws, she was still a good person.  And just because things didn't work out between us, it didn't mean I didn't care about her, as a person.

"I mean, she doesn't really have a temper.  It's just that sometimes her emotions get the best of her.  And she doesn't always think things through.  She tends to act first and think about the consequences later.  But that's just how she is.  But I wouldn't say she has a temper."

Taylor looked at me and furrowed her eyebrows together.  "It seems like you're sticking up for her."

"I'm not sticking up for her, I'm just saying.  I think you're misjudging her."

"Well, regardless,  it was extremely immature of her to act the way she did.   And more than anything, pushing you like that.  Now that seriously pissed me off.  She's lucky I didn't kick her fucking ass."

"I know.  And I agree", I said, because I did.  "A physical confrontation, of course, is never the right thing to do.  It's never the way to handle things.  And there's no excuse for it.  But I think she just acted out of anger because, well... I think it was hard for her to see me with..." I said, then trailed off. 

"With what?"

"With another woman", I said, turning my gaze away from hers.

And in all honesty, I knew how hard it must of been for Alyssa to see me with Taylor.  And I mean, I would have been upset too if I saw her with another woman, even though we weren't together anymore.  It still would have upset me.