Page 85 of Loving Taylor

"Sin," Slater said, stopping me, "it wasn't your fault."

He knew me too well. I pressed my lips together, trying to stop myself from arguing about it. It was my fault. If I hadn't left, I probably would have been with her and I might have been able to stop him from getting her.

Twenty-four hours. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to push away the voice in the back of my mind that told me she was probably dead already. I would never forgive myself for abandoning her.

"I'll see you soon," I told him before I ended the call.

"You leaving already?" my mom said as she walked into the room. Her face was pale and she looked tired.

"Yeah, I have to go," I said as I walked down the hall to the room I'd been using.

I got my duffel bag and just started shoving stuff into it. My mind was trying to process everything I'd just found out while trying to concentrate on getting my stuff together so I could get back and find out what was happening.

Did the cops have any leads? Had anyone witnessed the accident? Did they have a description of the car?

I got my leather jacket and put it on. If I hurried, I could be back in an hour. When I reentered the living room, my mom was sitting in the chair.

"I have to go," I told her as I walked to her and dropped a kiss on her cheek.

"Okay, baby," she said, giving me a weak smile. It was still hard to link the person she was now with the mother she'd been to me growing up.

I found my mom's nurse in the kitchen.

"I've got to leave. Keep an eye on her," I said to her. She gave me a brief nod.

"You don't have to worry, Mr. Carter," she assured me kindly. "I'll look after your mom."

"Thanks," I replied before I left. I hurried to my car and as soon as I got into the driver's side, I shoved the duffel bag onto the passenger seat.

I started up the car and prayed that Taylor was still safe. I broke nearly every speed limit, and within forty minutes I was pulling up outside Taylor's apartment.

I felt a nervous fear engulf me as I got to the door of the apartment and knocked.

Matthew opened the door and looked surprised to see me. A large surgical pad covered his forehead.

"Have you found her yet?" I asked as I stepped inside. The look in his eyes made my chest hurt. It felt like a steel grip around my heart.

"No," he said, shaking his head. He dropped his gaze to the floor.

I took a couple more steps before I saw Connor sitting in one of the sofas with his head in his hands and Jordan sat beside him, trying to comfort him.

Jordan looked like she'd been crying.

I didn't want to be around them. It was like they were convinced she was dead already and I wasn't going to give up that easily, not until I saw it for myself.