Just as his question to her confirmed, Taylor was not too sure of his stay in Lanford nor of its permanence. For all he knew, it might not even be worthwhile to replace the furniture in some of the rooms to something more of his liking for he could be living in the city in a month from that time again. There could be another Charmaine down the line in a year or so or nothing in that direction at all. Whichever way it was, Taylor hated the uncertainty of it all; it went against his way of living and shook things around so that he had to second-guess his own movements even more than usual. In all, it was just a hassle that he didnât want continued. All these were no new thoughts but what had been on repeat for the last three months, resurfacing whenever most inconvenient as it was now when he just tried to enjoy himself with an old friend around but looked slightly miserable instead as his eyes were glued to the windows that showed perfect weather, which should be clouds and thunder all around in these times.
     â Itâs different if I donât ask for them. I asked for yours. â, he clarified neutrally, though he hoped that Molly did know this about him already. However polished and perfect he wanted to seem to the public and, in some cases, just normal people, it was not for his friend to feel like she was more part of that big picture than something else. Despite being quite invested the outcome of an answer of herâs and the meaning of it, Taylor only saw her movings in peripherical vision with his gaze still directed on something and nothing at all outside. He had less thought about what people saw in his family in regards to him rather than the other way around â always assuming people would see him as the bad guy, but now he was not that sure about it anymore. Entering the family business hadnât been pressured on him rather than fully embraced in spite of always being second in line. The feeling of being pressured, he thought, had ceased to exist the moment the teenager heâd been decided upon a life for himself, more ambitious than his parents had planned for him. The pressure on himself Taylor couldnât promise anyone anything about. â God knows Iâll use that break. â And just with that, his eyes were back on herâs, combined with a reassuring tone in his voice and a gentler smile on his lips rather than anything charming or the underlying sense to sway her. â But donât worry about me. Iâve handled my family all my life, nothing suggests that this will be any different. â, he added, resting his right hand on her arm for a moment as if to placate Molly. It was not a promise that he would do as she said â the exact opposite was the case, heâd pressure himself to the breaking point if that was what it took for him to get what he wanted, just as heâs always done, but Taylor lived better with the thought that she believed in that half-lie.Â
While Taylor sure seemed to do his best to hide it, there was no doubt that his mind was troubled â just not in the ways Molly had been expecting it to. She would easily have guessed that the break-up would have been what occupied his thoughts, but that wasnât at all what was going on. Rather, it seemed to be the uncertainty of his current situation. In a way, Molly had no trouble relating to that. That awful feeling of uncertainty. Around the time of her parentsâ divorce, it had ultimately been what caused her to drop out of Yale, sending her off in a completely different direction in the end, one that she hoped was right, but even to this day couldnât say for sure if it was. She loved her profession, no doubt. But growing up, she had also loved studying law. Much thanks to her father of course, but still, that feeling had never completely disappeared.
As a gentler smile took place on his lips, Molly mirrored it, knowing he was right. Didnât they all need a break sometimes? It was only when his hand landed on her arm that her gaze temporarily moved from his face to the place where she could feel his touch, knowing that it was merely an attempt of comforting her, reassuring her that he was alright, even though she wasnât sure she believed the words that came out of his mouth. Nevertheless, his touch, even if minor and spontaneous, felt as good as ever. âI never worry about you.â As her eyes finally trailed back to find his, her voice was reassuring as well. âIf Iâd do that, Iâd have to worry a lot. And that was always Charmaineâs job, not mine.â The ex-fiancĂŠâs name came out so easily this time, without even realizing that she had brought the subject up again, with no real intention of bringing that discussion back to life. To salvage the situation, she decided to quickly speak back up, steering the subject elsewhere. âYou know, Iâd show you around town to give you a proper welcome, but honestly, my knowledge of all the best places canât compare to any Lanford native yet.â The smile on her lips widening, her words were jesting. For someone who had lived in town for about eight months already, she sure hadnât spent a lot of time exploring the area. âSo, my question, right?â Seeing as Molly wasnât convinced his previous words had been truthful, she decided on trying to get more out of him. âNo matter what you say, Iâm sure you already have a plan on what to do next. You wanna fill me in on the details, or will I have to guess?â