You Can't Always Get What You Want Ch. 03

Essence spent the night in Justin's arms. Curled in the backseat of his car, kept warm by him and two blankets. The night was extremely chilly, but all she felt was the fire of his love for her, enveloping her in a warm cocoon.

Sleep wasn't easy in coming once they entangled themselves from the innocent embrace they had been in. Just enjoying being with each other.

But eventually they both fell into a fitful rest.

They got back to her house in the predawn darkness. She kissed him and hugged him tight, before she made herself unlock the back door and sneak up to her room.

She watched from her window until not even his car's taillights were visible. Then she slowly undressed and crawled into bed to fall into a sleep where she dreamed a blue-eyed angel lookalike took her away from the man she loved.

She woke up at 11:00 that morning, her cheeks wet with tears.

When she finally managed to drag herself from the warm nest of blankets that she had subconsiously made to imitate her boyfriend's arms, she took a hot shower, scalding her skin to a pink. She dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved Seether shirt, not able to wear her Hanson ones. She may have still been a fan of the band's music, but she couldn't bear to have anything at all to do with them right now.

She finally made an appearance downstairs for lunch at 12:30 that afternoon.

Both her parents were sitting in the living room, which she bypassed and headed straight for the kitchen. She grabbed a can of mountain dew and a ham and cheese sandwich with ketchup.

As Essence was trying to choke down her food, which her stomach didn't seem to want to accept though she knew she'd make herself sick if she didn't eat something, her mother and father came in.

She had managed to eat half of her sandwich and at the sight of them coming into the kitchen, she lost what bit of an appetite that she had had.

Her mother leaned against the doorjamb, frowning at her, while her father gave her a stern look.

"We know who you were with last night," he began, "we are very disappointed in you. We thought by now you'd see the light of reason, but apparently not."

"I suppose forbidding you to see that boy would do no good," her mother continued, "but we are forbidding him to come here. If we see him here, we will call the police. He dresses the part of someone with a drug problem, so I'm sure something could be arranged."

Essence gaped at these people who called themselves her parents, "Listen to yourselves! This whole thing is ridiculous! I can't believe I'm even related to you!" She threw her half a sandwich away in disgust and took the rest of her soda with her and ran upstairs, slamming the door.

"She is being so unreasonable," Karen said, shaking her head.

"She'll come around," Ben answered, thoughtfully.

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then she'll live in, what is to her, an unreasonable situation until the day she dies."

"Quite so."

In another part of town, Taylor sat on his couch staring at the TV, not even seeing what was on.

He was lost in thoughts on how to get Essence to agree to marry him. He couldn't believe she would choose some punk dude over him.

He shook his head, as if to clear away such disagreeable musings.

He decided he would just go see her when she was home alone and talk to her and make her see he wasn't the bad guy in all this. Though he supposed, in a way, he sort of was, but she didn't need to know that.

He grinned as he checked his watch and saw it was near 1:30. Her parents would be off their lunch breaks and back at work, and Essence would be by herself.

He put on his shoes, grabbed his coat, picked up his keys from the coffee table, and walked outside to his car, whistling.

When Taylor arrived at Essence's house, she was sitting on the porch in just jeans and a shirt despite the chill in the air, contemplating her future and the situation in which she now found herself. She watched with a curiosity as to who it was, until she saw the tall frame that got out of the car and the famous blond hair that she had loved so much just a couple years before.

As he walked up the steps to the porch and to the swing she was swaying on, she remained motionless, except for her foot moving the swing.

He just stood there for a minute, a half smile on his lips, unsure of his welcome.

Essence looked him over, her dark brown eyes starting with his blond hair, the pools of blue eyes meeting hers, down the adorable nose and luscious lips that she has kissed so many times in her dreams, over the broad shoulders, chest covered in a long-sleeved blue shirt, down the long legs encased in jeans, and to his feet covered in red and white sneakers.

She at one time had adored every inch that was Taylor Hanson. But that time was past.

The longer that she didn't say anything, the more nervous he got. He could feel her assessing him, studying him.

He studied her as well, and God she was more gorgeous than any picture he had seen could have been. What if his plan didn't work?

What am I doing?, he thought, I'm Taylor Hanson. A million girls would give anything to have sex with me, let alone marry me. She should be the one that's nervous, not me.

With that, he grinned and said, "Hello Essence. Now that you're done looking me over, and I assume I'm to your satisfaction, I was wondering if we could talk."

She couldn't believe what an asshole he was. Any nervousness she might have had was gone.

"As a matter of fact," she calmly replied, "you are not to my satisfaction anymore." Her gaze was unflinching as she gauged his reaction.

She saw the blue fire flash in his eyes and saw the smile that had been more of a leer, become forced. She watched him until he had regained the composure he had almost lost.

She mentally congratulated herself for being able to get under his skin. She felt no remorse for what she had done and what she would do to him if he continued down this path.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he sounded sincere, but she had already seen the anger her words had stirred. "I was hoping we could be friends. I'm as much against out parent's plan as you are. I thought together we could get it through their heads," he shoved his hands in his pockets, looking like the Taylor she had loved.

"I don't see why we need to listen to them anyway," Essence stated, "we are both adults. Besides, I have more of a problem than you do. I can't even have my boyfriend around here. The people who call themselves my parents have threatened to have him arrested if they see him here. It's not like I can just move out. At least not right now. You have your own place, all you have to do is stay away from your parents or the worst consequence would be an argument."

She had him there. Taylor hadn't realized how smart she was and quickly wracked his brain for a logical reply that would still allow him to continue with his plan without her getting even more suspicious than she already was.

"Yes but, I am close with my parents, so to fight with them really sucks. I know it may not seem like much, but it is. At least with your parents, you're used to fighting, so it's not so bad," he thought he made a good point, but it backfired on him.

"Not so bad?! Taylor you are such a jerk!" she exploded, getting to her feet abruptly, "All my life it's been nothing but fighting. Constant. Relentless. No peace at all. You've had a devoted family all your life. All you've had was love and caring. You try to live my life for a day Taylor, and then you tell me it's not so bad!" Her brown eyes had pierced his blue ones throughout her speech.

At first, he was angry at her outburst, but as he listened all he felt was sadness for her, for the pain that was so apparent in her eyes, that were now welling up with tears.

She hurriedly ran inside the house and slammed the door shut and locked it.

"Damn it Taylor, you've really done it now. How am I supposed to get on her good side after that?" he mumbled to himself.

He figured it was waste to stay there, especially when most likely he'd just cause more damage. So he walked back to his car and drove off.

Essence watched him go from an upstairs window. So many emotions were running through her. Anger at the things he had said, sadness about what could never be because of the choices he had made, and so much more.

In all honesty, if she had received the news two years ago, or even a year and a half ago, a lot would have been different.

She would have ended up marrying Taylor and would have only had happiness. No heartbreak.

She wouldn't have went to that party with Christine. Or if she had, she wouldn't have paid much attention to Justin. She would have told him she was taken and that would've been the end of him as far as she would have been concerned.

"It's so amazing how one decision drastically changes not only your path, but other people's as well," she mused to herself. "Oh well, it's for the best."

Truthfully, she knew her and Taylor would not make a good couple. She wasn't even sure if they'd even get along.

"Judging by the conversation we just had, I'd say not," she said to her walls which had a variety of those huge posters of Hanson, Seether, and Evanescence on them. The faces frozen in time looked down at her from their places.

She studied one of the Hanson ones that was hung directly across from her bed where she lay with her hands behind her head. It was the closeup color one from the Acoustic 2003 tour. Tay looked so sweet, not like the jerk he had turned out to be in person. An angel look alike that was a devil. What an oxymoron. She smiled at that thought.

She looked to her tv right across from her bed. On top in a frame was a picture of her and Justin taken of the Christmas just past. Both had such wide smiles on their faces. Laughter, happiness, no worries, not a care in the world. It had been so perfect.

Now people were trying to take it away from her. Rip Justin from her heart and have it bleed eternally.

She refused to let that happen. She had finally found happiness, found her soul mate, and by God she intended to keep it, hold onto it. No one was going to succeed in parting her and Justin. She'd die first.