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“Tay, it’s the safest place,” he told her then leaned in and whispered, “I need you safe, it’s the best I can do.”
Just then there was banging on Derrick’s door. “Mr. Fletcher, this is building security.”
“Okay, fine. Let’s go,” Taylor said. Her decision had been made for her.
* * *
It wasthe quickest Derrick had ever exited his home. He didn’t even get clothes. He and Taylor met building security, who escorted them down to the garage.
“This is unreal,” Taylor said as they crept out of the garage to hundreds of people, most of them with cameras flashing. She was wearing a Red Sox hat and aviators that Derrick had given her, and the windows of the Range Rover they were in were tinted, but the paparazzi still called out to her and Derrick by name as they rolled by.
“They are probably just hoping it’s you,” Derrick tried to assure her, but he knew that the flashing would make her visible.
“I’m not sure I can deal with all this, Derrick,” Taylor told him as she held her head in her hand.
“They are just hungry for something, Taylor, and when things are hidden it becomes more delicious. You are the hidden Preston Princess.”
“I know.”
They drove in silence the rest of the way. When they arrived at the Fletcher mansion, there were paparazzi everywhere too, but security was better equipped to handle them there, and the crowd was much smaller than the one that had descended on Derrick’s place.
They drove into a garage elevator and were lowered into a parking area.
Derrick blew out a breath, “Well, that could have been worse.” He laughed and turned to find Taylor white-knuckled on the door of his Range Rover. “Tay? What’s wrong?”
She didn’t speak; she just sat and stared straight ahead.
“Tay? Talk to me.”
She let out a shaky breath. “I just … I hadn’t ever thought about coming here again, you know? It holds so many memories, and I just …”
Derrick reached and unclenched Taylor’s hand from the door. “It’s going to be okay, Tay,” Derrick assured her, rubbing her hands to ease the tension.
Taylor turned her face up and looked at Derrick, “Stay with me, Derrick?”
“Yeah, Tay, I will—”
“No, like don’t just drop me off. Don’t just settle me in, please stay with me. Don’t leave me, okay?”
Derrick furrowed his brow. This was weird; he wasn’t sure where her new panic had come from, “Yes, Tay—”
“Promise?” she practically begged, squeezing his hand to emphasize her need.
With his free hand, Derrick touched her face lightly, “I promise, Taylor. I will stay here with you, and I won’t leave you.”
Taylor nodded, still looking quite skittish. “Okay,” she said and took a deep breath. “Okay,” she repeated. After several seconds, Taylor looked at Derrick. “Why haven’t we gotten out?”
“Uh, because you have a death grip on my hand,” Derrick replied, looking down.
“Oh right, I’m sorry,” she exclaimed, throwing herself backward and knocking her head on the passenger window.
“Easy, killer,” Derrick laughed and got out. He walked around and opened Taylor’s door.
“Geez, it’s so dark in here,” Taylor commented as she got out of the SUV. “Can’t you guys afford lights?”
Derrick laughed full tilt this time.
Taylor glared at him. “What’s so funny?”