Conflicted

Mrs. Byrnes

It's nine-thirty at night and I can tell Peyton is about to pass out from exhaustion. She has been drained mentally, physically and emotionally. Peyton and her mom cried so hard after shr told her about Preston. Mrs. Byrnes was heartbroken that her daughter did not come to her until now but she understood. They cried and held each other on the couch for a long time after Peyton finished talking. Mrs. Byrnes thanked me over and over, it was overwhelming. She called me a guardian angel and a hero, I wasn't even sure how to respond. I just told her I did what was right. Peyton and her mom have a great relationship. As I stayed with them, piecing together parts of the story when Peyton could not, I watched the two interact. It made me wonder what sort of relationship I would of had with my mom. It also got me wondering where Peyton's dad was and why she never talked about him. That was a topic for a different day, however. As Mrs. Byrnes rocked Peyton gently in her arms, I could tell that she was seconds away from falling asleep. It was time for me to go. Peyton's eyes were shut as she swayed in her mother's gentle caress. I stood up quietly and whispered so that I wouldn't disturb her.

"It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Byrnes. I wish it would have been on happier terms but I admire your love for your daughter. You raised an amazing young woman, who deserves much more than the pain and suffering she endured today. Can I leave you my phone number in case either of you need anything?"

Peyton's mom eased her sleeping daughter onto the couch gently and covered her with a throw blanket. She was out cold. Mrs. Byrnes stood up and motioned me to follow her out of the room. We walked to the kitchen.

"I know I thanked you a lot at this point, but a million thank yous would still not be enough in my eyes. My baby girl is the only thing I have left now that my son moved away and started his own family. She and I have always been close, but today she found you. I am eternally grateful for that, because you did good by her today. Quite frankly, you were amazing. You saved her, plain and simple. Not only do I want your phone number, but I would like to have you over for dinner this weekend as well. It's not nearly enough in terms of a thank-you, but it's a start. I owe you a lifetime of gratitude," she slides over a piece of paper and a pen so I can leave them my number. As I write down my contact information, I respond.

"I'd love to come over for dinner, but only as a friend, nothing more. I mean it when I said I was only trying to do the right thing for her, I just wanted to make sure she'd be okay. I'm no hero, far from it. I just seen how special your daughter was and felt the need to intervene. I'll do anything to make sure Peyton stays safe and happy now that I have been lucky enough to meet her."

"I always knew she would meet someone like you. I never understood why she'd gotten with Preston, let alone why she stayed with him. She never seemed fully happy or satisfied in that relationship. She never looked at him the way she looks at you," Mrs. Byrnes has a knowing gleam in her eye. I'm too stunned to respond at first.

"Peyton and I are just friends. We've only known each other since this morning..." I reply, lamely.

"Right, right, of course. Forgive me," she dismisses the conversation quickly and moves on.

I'm still reeling when I finally end up making my goodbyes and begin to walk towards the front door. Before I leave, Mrs. Byrnes speaks up.

"Drive safely, hun. Oh, and... call me Hanna or Mama, will you? Mrs. Byrnes is my mother," she grins.

"Sure thing, Hanna."

I quickly peek into the living room on my way out and see that Peyton is still soundly asleep on the couch. I finally relax and that's when I realize I too am absolutely wrecked. I need to get home and into bed as soon as possible.

I'm back in my truck, driving home when my brain decides to replay Hanna's words from earlier inside my head. She never looked at him the way she looks at you. Does she mean what I think she means? Clearly she's realized I'm gay. Does she think Peyton might actually have feelings for me? The things she said, the way she phrased it... it almost sounded like Mrs. Byrnes thought Peyton might be gay, and may have been under this impression for a while. I'm reading too much into this, I'm sure. Clearly, Peyton likes men if she was with Preston for so many years, yet Hanna made it seem like maybe, just maybe, I had a shot here. I force myself to stop over thinking as I park my truck in the garage where it all started, this morning. Wow, who would have thought today would have ended like this? I take the elevator up to my apartment. Even though I'm moving soon, I still consider this my home for the time being. When I walk in, Sarah and Alex are on the couch playing video games and Laken is making grilled cheese.

"Hey, gorgeous, want one?" Laken points at the frying pan.

"No, thank you. I'm exhausted and I need to get some sleep before I crash to the floor," I respond, hanging my jacket on it's hook by the door.

"f**k YOU, CARPET MUNCHER!" Sarah shouts angrily, tossing her controller on the coffee table. It bounces off and clatters to the floor. Alex is laughing next to her. Evidently, Alex is not letting her win anymore like he used to, the honeymoon phase is over and the gloves are off.

"Come on babe, don't be a sore loser. Also, you used to be a carpet muncher too, so don't hate ya boy," he tries to hug her and she fights him off.

"Don't call me a sore loser, I'll piss in your shoes," Sarah is a very unique person. With time, you end up loving her quirkiness, it develops into a sort of charming characteristic.

Alex looks over at me while his girlfriend pouts.

"You look like s**t, did you have to fight someone today?" He's only half-joking.

"Buddy, you wouldn't believe the day I had. I'll fill you guys in tomorrow morning if any of you are around, right now I need to sleep. Desperately."

With that I make my way over to my room and close the door behind me. I don't even bother to get undressed. I flop down onto my bed, face first and fall asleep within seconds. Tonight my dreams are filled with vivid fantasies of a beautiful girl with blonde hair and bright blue eyes... who is doing nothing but dirty things.