Perfect

5. Ex

C h a p t e r F i v e

X A N D E R went to the back door that Ella taught him. After he unlocked the steel door, he needed to enter another one and then lastly the screen door leading to the lobby.

He never thought that the lobby was big and spacious unlike the last time he went there since it was full of costumers. He entered the studio and like the first time he saw it, he looked at the right side were it was carpeted and a sofa was placed in the center and the background were a painting of contrasts of different cool colors. The studio was divided by two and the second part was the plain colored backgrounds then on the left side was a door.

That must be the dark room that Ella said, he thought.

He knocked on the door before he pulled down the handle and opened it. The room was dim lit, almost dark and just like in movies, pictures were clipped and hanged on a wire extending everywhere in the room. Xander saw a figure at a corner.

"Xander!" He heard Taylor said in a relief voice. "It's just you!"

"Hey."

"You scared me!" Taylor placed a bottle to a hanging cabinet. "I thought you're a theif and I was about to splash your face with chemicals."

"Oh, sorry I startled you."

He saw Taylor shook his head and pointed a shrivel chair. "Sit." Taylor said and resumed his work. "So what brought you here? It was Ella who gave you the keys?"

Instead of sitting on the chair, Xander walked towards him, facing the back of Taylor to watch him work and leaned his hips on a counter. Taylor glanced at him.

"Yes, Ella told me about the back doors and the keys and I'm here because I want to talk to you." Xander said.

"About Chester?" Taylor glanced and the atmosphere changed. He couldn't see Taylor's expression well because of the poor lighting.

"Yes. I want to introduce him to my parents."

"Of course! You should have done that earlier, they have the rights to know after all." Taylor said in a haste.

"Yeah?" Xander pinched the bridge of his nose like he always do when he's thinking and stressed out. He wasn't thinking that time, he was stressed since he expected Taylor to oppose him. Xander wasn't thinking that Taylor was that cruel, of course. But it meant that he was stealing Chester away from him because introducing Chester to his family means to take him away from him. There might be a posibility that his parents would argue about their very first grandson being away from them and of course, Taylor knew. Xander could feel Taylor tensed and his voice. . .

"When?"

"This weekend. Are you fine with it?"

Taylor stopped working and raked his hair with his hand. "I. . . Of course, I don't want you to think I'm selfish of keeping Chester for myself." He said frustratingly.

"Even though they. . . we might take him away from you?"

There was a silent pause.

". . . I don't have the right to refuse since he really do belong to you." Taylor sighed. "I'm. . . fine. I know this time would come and I'm not surprised anymore, Xander."

Xander just nodded.

"I. . . want to be alone." Taylor said.

"Okay, I'm. . ." He doesn't know what to say. He wasn't good with comforting people. He knew Taylor felt terrible that time and he was about to say sorry but it would place more burden on Taylor.

He sighed after exiting at the back door. That was the first time he felt bad for a certain person.

° ° °

Xander didn't go see Chester that day. He went directly to his parents house after his work. His family was complete during that dinner and it was the perfect time to tell them about Chester. They were busy with their foods when Xander wiped his mouth with his table napkin.

"You haven't eaten all your food." His mom, Jane, said and sipped her wine.

"He's on a diet." Cassandra said.

"I'm not. Maybe you." Xander said and pointed his fork to her. "I saw you with a boy at the mall."

Sandra opened her mouth in shock but no words came out. She looked at their mom and dad.

"That's a lie!" She said in a half screaming voice and stared at Xander. Of course, it was a lie. Bernard just rolled his eyes and continued eating. Jane narrowed her eyes at Sandra and Alexis, his father, cleared his throat.

Xander laughed at the back of his mind and coughed before he drank his water and placed the glass on the table making a screeching sound.

"I, um, wanted to say something." Xander said trying to catch all their attention.

"What is it?" Alexis said and drank his glass of water.

Xander exhaled first. "I have a six years old son... already." He said and he watched their reactions. Jane's fork was stopped in the air. Alexis just wrinkled his forehead while Sandra and Bernard ate like they didn't heard anything.

"What the hell are you talking about?" His mom said. She placed the fork back on her plate and tapped the napkin on her mouth.

"Remember the girl I first introduced to the both of you years ago?"

"The country girl?" His mom said.

"Didn't you broke up after that?" His dad said and Xander nodded.

"But we made up and we lasted for three years." Jane gasped.

"That long?" Xander nodded. They just stared at him in confusion.

"I know it's hard to believe but she left without me knowing that she was pregnant. And then I met this kid weeks ago in a bookstore. His face just looked so identical to mine. Everyone can tell that that kid is mine." Xander explained.

"You did things to that girl?" Jane exclaimed.

"You mean s*x? Yes. And I'm serious!" Xander said and running out of patience.

"My brain's still trying to process." Jane said.

"Let us meet the kid then." Alexis said he heard Sandra gasped.

"The name's Chester." Xander said trying to stifle a smile at Sandra's ugly face.

"Seriously?" Sandra said. "I'm an aunt now?"

"I'll pick them tomorrow then." Xander said ignoring Sandra.

° ° °

T A Y L O R was staring at the wallpaper of his laptop where orange leaves were falling from the branches covering the pavement when his phone vibrated. Though what registered in the screen was an unknown number, he knew who it was since he used to memorized that number and it seemed like he couldn't forget it. Clinton was his ex and they still stayed in touched until that time but he didn't save his number. Maybe because he was so bitter about their break up before but now that he already moved on, he forgot to save it again.

"Hey!" He said after he answered the call.

"Hey! What's up, Taylor?" Clint's cheerful voice filled his ears. He kinda missed that funny guy.

"Nothing much. So, um, why'd you call?" He scratched his nape and shutdown his laptop.

"Can I drop by in your studio tomorrow?"

"If you'll bring food then why not!" Taylor chuckled and Clint also laughed from the other line. Taylor leaned his back on the backrest and closed his tired eyes.

"I will. Don't worry, I'll bring your favorites." Taylor smiled and murmured thanks. "Remember that bar where we first saw each other?"

"Hmm. Why?" He pictured out in his mind the bar and then he saw Clint on the counter chatting with the bartender. Taylor sat on the corner table and when he called the waiter, Clinton stood and approached him with two shot glasses on his right hand and a bottle of liquor on the left.

Before, it felt magical—their encounter—but thinking about it now that they had broken up, it wasn't that magical anymore. He felt funny thinking about it.

"I'm the new bartender. It'll be my treat if you go there."

"Really!? Sure, I'll mark your word." Taylor laughed.

"Yeah. I'm expecting you there."

"Yeah. I—" Taylor was interrupted when the door opened and Chester went inside.

"Papa-oh! I'm sorry." Chester said when he saw Taylor with the phone. Chester dive on the bed.

"Is that Chester?" Clint asked.

"Yeah, it's him." Taylor said and motioned Chester with his free hand. "It's Clinton."

"Uncle Clint!?" Chester stood on the bed and jumped.

"Yeah. Don't jump!" Taylor exclaimed.

"Can I talk to the little guy?" Clint said.

"Sure." Taylor held the phone to Chester who sat back on the bed.

"Hi, uncle Clint! I'm fine, you?. . . yeah, I will. . . yeah. . . really!? Okay! . . . "

Taylor stood and went to the bathroom to change into his pj's and went back after. Chester was still talking to Clint laughing. He laid down beside Chester when Chester shoved his phone to his face. The light was blinding him.

"Someone's calling."

"Who?" Taylor sat and looked at his phone. Clint's call was still ongoing and it was ringing for caller number two which was Xander. "Clinton, we'll talk later." He said.

"Someone's more important than me?" Clint in a sulking voice.

"Maybe. . . yes. Later." Taylor ended the call and answered Xander. "Yes?"

"Hey, um, I'll pick you guys tomorrow morning." He said.

"Yeah." Taylor said. He looked at Chester who was also looking at him with curious eyes.

It was tomorrow and he forgot if Xander didn't call.

"Okay. . ." There was a silent pause before he heard Xander's voice again from the other line. "Can I talk to him?"

"Ugh, sure." Taylor gave the phone to Chester. "Xa-err, your dad." Chester grabbed the phone and happily greeted Xander. Taylor stood and went to his study table and sat. Turned his laptop on and plugged his headphones blocking Chester's voice. Playing God by Paramore filled his ears.

His heart was raging and he couldn't help but hate Xander for stealing Chester. He was applying pressure when pressing the keys. Taylor raked his hands on his hair. It was growing long since he always forgot to cut it. He was busy.

Some of his hair fell down on his forehead. He will be wearing that long hair for quiet a while.

° ° °

X A N D E R went to Taylor's unit eight in the morning. Chester was tieing his shoe laces and Taylor went out from the bedroom with a comb on his hand. His hair was a mess. Xander was about to say something when the door bell rang.

"I got it." Taylor ran to the door, opened and shut it close after he went outside.

"Hi, Xander. Did you already eat breakfast?" Ella said who emerged from the kitchen.

"Hi. I don't have time to eat."

"It's decided then, you'll eat with us."

"No, I'm okay." Xander declined.

"Come on, dad." Chester held his hand and pulled him to the kitchen. "Your deal thing with papa was still on, right?" He smiled and nodded.

"Yeah." He chuckled. "I'll go call Taylor first." He went outside and saw Taylor hugging someone. Taylor couldn't see Xander since he was facing his back at him but Xander could see the other man and their eyes met. The man's eyes was too calm while scanning him before he released Taylor from the hug and smiled.

"I better get going."

Taylor nodded. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah. Later." The man said but before he turned around, he gave Xander a quick glance but more like he was glaring at him. He could feel that something was wrong with that man.

He saw Taylor jumped when he turned his heels and saw him.

"My God, you surprised me." Taylor said but he sounded tensed than surprised.

"Sorry, breakfast's ready." He said.

"'Kay." Taylor went ahead of him and he glanced at the empty hallway before he went inside and closed the door.

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