Free Resist (London) by Danielle Breeze Page A

myself. No more than ten minutes later, I heard the door open and Jackson strolled through. I frowned briefly, wondering why the hell he had spotlessly clean and ironed clothes, but his face and his shaved head, we’re covered in mud.
    How strange!
    I was nervous though, I still didn’t know him all that well, and I didn’t know how he’d take what I had to say.
    “What’s up Harp? Mase here?” He asked.
    “Um, yeah...well no... he’s not now...he was here though, he said it was ok if I waited for you. I hope it is...he said it would be. I didn’t just like, not go home, I wanted to wait for you to talk to you but Mase said he had to go the club since you were out and I like...I really needed to speak to you. I didn’t touch anything, I just waited here, even though Mase said you wouldn’t care, but I wasn’t sure so I didn’t and I just sat here yeah?”
    My words were coming out too fast , I was just babbling and he said,
    “Whoa, Harp, take a deep breath and slow down . I don’t care that you’re here . You can always come here. So what’s up?”
    “I think you should leave Taylor alone.” I blurted, thinking that it was just best for me to get it over with.
    “You want me to leave Taylor alone . ” He repeated, his voice slow and slightly unsure.
    Wow, I didn’t think macho-men ever be unsure .
    “Yeah, I mean, no... well, not permanently. Just for like, a few days...she told me what she said to you outside the cinema and I think, no, I know...she doesn’t really know what she wants when it comes to you, because you’re always there regardless of how she acts with you. Think about it, right now, she can treat you how she wants because you’re trying to prove a point that you really like her and she’s different. So if you just like...stopped making an effort for a few days, she’d realise that she can’t get away with it. Wouldn’t she?”
    It was a good idea, I knew it was, I knew Taylor better than anyone, and I wanted her to be happy, I figured Jackson was better than any guy I’d have picked for her. Even if he did have an edge.
    “Well yeah, I guess she would. But what if it back fires? And she just ends up realising that she really doesn’t need or want me around? Then I’m back to square one all over again . ”
    He had a point, I supposed. I bit my lip and thought for a second.
    “She won’t.” I stated firmly. Then explained...“Thing is with Taylor, she thinks she has to be strong, for us. But what she doesn’t realise is that, her ice facade is all an act. Hell, we’ve known it since the day she came out of hospital after her parents died. Our old Taylor is in there. Don’t get me wrong, she always looked out for us back then too, but it was real then. Taylor doesn’t know what real is anymore.”
    I stopped for a breath, then continued.
    “I have a plan, it’s a good plan, and you’re gonna help me do it, because it’s for you! I’m like 99.9% certain that it’s going to work. You just need to stick with what you’ve been doing. Just not for the next few days!”
    I explained my idea, basically telling him to leave her alone, let her learn to miss him, then he could just be somewhere she would be, and she wouldn’t have a choice but to face him. Childish games really, but I guess you could say, for an adult, Taylor was still locked inside her childhood. So it was the right thing to do. I was certain.
    It seemed Jackson was too because he walked over to me, hugged me, kissed me on the forehead and exclaimed, “You’re a genius! And you’re right. Thank you.”
    Good deed for the day. Done.
    I took a moment to think about just how gorgeous Jackson actually was. He was all, rough and ready, shaved head, tattooed arms, built, really built. He walked with an air of dominance that I loved for Taylor, she was so tough, so strong, she needed to let someone else take care of her for a change.
    Not for me though, he just wasn’t my type. I liked clean, groomed, no