Page 48 of Loving Taylor

"Do you have somewhere to stay in the meantime?" Officer Johnson asked.

She rubbed her forehead as she mulled over his question. I frowned.

"Ma'am?" the officer prompted.

"Yes, she does." My words were out before I realized I had spoken. She looked up at me but my attention was on the cop. "She'll be staying with me."

I didn't miss the way the officer looked at me before he nodded. It was something I was used to. A few years ago he would have been right, but I was different now.

The cops left and I waited while Taylor packed some things.

"I can stay in a hotel," she said, unable to look at me.

I shouldn't have been surprised. I had made it abundantly clear that we only had an arrangement of sex that had an expiration date. She was abiding by the rules of our agreement and I felt like such an asshole.

"You've got some crazy nut after you and you want to go and stay in a hotel where he might find you?" I argued, not wanting to tell her that I wanted to keep her close because I didn't trust anyone to watch her like I would. It reminded me of the protectiveness I had felt the first night we had met.

Her eyes held mine for a moment with real fear.

"We both know what would've happened if I hadn't come back and frightened him off," I added, needing to ensure she was going home with me.

She went a shade paler. Her eyes watered and she swallowed. I felt like a bigger asshole for scaring her but she needed to understand the severity of the situation she was in. When a tear escaped down her cheek, I felt like someone had sucker-punched me in the stomach.

"I'm sorry." I gathered her into my arms and she pressed her cheek against my chest.

"I didn't mean to make you cry," I whispered softly. I pulled away to look down at her tear-soaked face. Knowing I had made her cry made me feel like crap. I wiped the tears from her cheek before I held her again for a few minutes.

"I'm sorry." She broke away from my embrace and I dropped my hands to my sides.

I was quiet as I watched her.

"What about your roommates?"

"It will be fine." I shrugged. She didn't know that I owned the house and I wasn't about to share that piece of information.

She looked like she was still trying to decide if it was a good idea to come back to my house but she didn't realize I had already made up my mind and she didn't really have a choice.

"Okay." She relented.

She packed a bag quickly and we left the room. I couldn't wait to get her out of the building, away from the memories of the incident that had still left her shaken.

When we reached the stairwell, she hesitated. I held my hand out to her and she took a deep breath like she was building up the courage before she put her hand in mine. All the way down the stairs I held her bag in one hand and her hand in my other.

The drive back to my house was quiet. I kept looking at her, worried that she may have another meltdown, but she kept herself together.

I had forgotten about the party that was taking place at my house. It was still going when we pulled up in front of my house. I got out of the car and got her bag. She got out of the passenger side and I walked her into the house.

"Hey, man, where have you been?" Slater asked when I entered first and then when Taylor followed behind he said, "I didn't think you were coming tonight."

Taylor attempted a smile but Slater could pick up on the undercurrent. "What's up?"

"Taylor is staying with us for a couple of nights," I told him. He shot me a surprised look.

"Sure, no problem. Do you want me to close up the party?" he asked. He could tell I wasn't in the party mood. I gave him a nod.

"Tay," Jordan squealed and hugged Taylor. She was unusually happy, which meant she'd probably had too much to drink. Clearly they had been enjoying the party.

"Were you planning on taking Jordan back to the dorm room?" I asked Slater when he slung an arm around her.