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Taylor

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

“Taylor?” I hear Jackie’s voice calling me.

I still can’t move. I arrived about ten minutes ago, but I remain frozen, leaning against the door, trembling.

“Taylor,” she calls again, then she appears in front of me. “Oh my God, what happened?” She takes the instrument case from my hand. “A violin?”

“Yes. William gave it to me. He said it was mine when I was a teenager, but I had to sell it to pay for my father’s medical care.”

“He went after the violin that was yours when you were a teenager?”

I feel exhausted and give her a sad smile. “It’s not what you’re thinking.”

She takes my hand. “Tell me.”

“I will, but first, I need a shower.”

Thirty minutes later, I return to the living room and tell her about the entire night, leaving out almost no details—except for the sex, which I only mention briefly.

“My God, I want a love like that!”

“Did you even hear what I said? This isn’t about love. It’s lust.”

“ Passion . But the kind that shakes the Earth. Not just any man would take you back while still suspecting that you were his father’s mistress.”

“William didn’t take me back. He gave in to desire, just like I did.”

“Not just like you. In your confusing reality, thanks to your amnesia, it’s obvious you never forgot him. You’re not the kind of person who has sex with a stranger.”

“He was never a stranger to me. Just because I don’t remember the past doesn’t mean I forgot him.”

“What do you mean?”

“The moment he called me on the night of the party, I realized I didn’t feel about him the way I do with others. Even with you, it took me some time to readjust, but with William . . .”

“It felt natural,” she finishes.

“Yes.”

“God, and here I thought I had relationship problems.”

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing. Keep going.”

“I haven’t even told you the worst part yet.”

I explain how we didn’t use protection, and her eyes widen. “Sweet Jesus!”

“Please, I don’t want to talk about it. I’ll wait until I’m sure, or I’ll go crazy.”

“Alright.”

I finish by telling her about the hospital job and, finally, about my discovery—right when I got here—that I had been followed before I disappeared.

“Your life is like an action movie, girl.”

“Horror movie, you mean, right?”

She gets up from the couch and holds out her hand. “Come on, let’s get some rest. You look exhausted.”

* * *

The Next Day

“How did you sleep?” my friend asks after pouring herself a cup of coffee.

“Better than I expected.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me you thought you were being followed?”

“My father raised me, Jackie. I learned to be independent. When he died, I was alone in the world. Everyone has their own problems. It didn’t make sense for me to burden you with mine.”

“I believe in the power of independence, Taylor, and I know exactly what it’s like to have no one. But in your case, this wasn’t an empty threat. You know there’s a high chance the guy you thought was following you is the one responsible for your disappearance?”

“A kidnapping? With what motive? I don’t have a penny to my name.”

She looks at me for a moment, as if unsure whether she should say what’s on her mind.

“What is it?”

“I want to help you find answers, not cause more distress.”

“Tell me.”

“You’re a beautiful woman, Taylor. The person who took you could have been some sicko obsessed with you.”

It takes me a moment to grasp what she means, and when I do, I stare at her, horrified. “You think I was kept somewhere? That he . . .that . . .” I start crying again because that possibility never crossed my mind. I assumed I’d had an accident, lost my memory, and then Mrs. Marshall’s son found me—but I’m not sure how that “rescue” happened.

“It would make sense, wouldn’t it? Maybe you managed to escape, but there are still so many missing pieces to this puzzle. Either way, I have good news. ‘L’ contacted me and said he’s following a strong lead.”

“Regarding what?”

“Your disappearance. But he wouldn’t give me details.”

“Do you trust him?”

“Yes, I’d trust him with my life. He was my brother’s best friend, as I’ve told you.”

“Is he one of the good guys?” I ask, then immediately feel ashamed. “Forgive me, Jackie. I had no right to say something like that. Regardless of what he does for a living, ‘L’ is my hero.”

“I can’t talk about it, mostly because I don’t know much about what he does, but I can tell you that he’s my guardian angel. Yet, to most of the world, he’s a demon.”

I shudder and look at her to see if she’s joking. It takes me a fraction of a second to realize she’s not.

For the first time, it occurs to me that Jackie, aside from a vague mention of her brother, never talks about her family.

I’m curious and almost ask her about it, but then I decide to let it go. I don’t care where she comes from—what matters to me is that she’s a loyal, dedicated friend.

“If you trust him, then I trust him too.”

She hugs me. “You have no idea how much I missed you, Taylor.”

“Thank you for not giving up on me.”

“I never would have. I don’t have many people in my life, but the ones I love, I protect with everything I’ve got. And that’s why I want to say something—if things don’t work out between you and William, if you’re pregnant, the three of us can live here.”

“There’s nothing to ‘work out’ between us. The only ties we might have are the job and a possible pregnancy. In a few weeks, I’ll know the truth. Regardless, I don’t remember the past, so I think he’ll always doubt me.”