| "So, Jess...what did Jake say? About your mom, I mean, if you don't mind me asking.." Lacey said. "Not a whole lot, Lace..just that she took of from his family, too.. something about when the money ran out...sounds about right, I can barely remember it, but when she left me with Gramma she said something about not having the money to take care of me...then I never saw her again. I dunno if Gram ever heard from her, if she did she didn't tell me. But I sure didn't. Now that I think about it, she must have gone right then to be with Jake's dad, he's not that much younger than me, maybe a year and a half...OH MY GOD!" I gasped as what I was saying dawned on me. "What?" they all asked in unison. Tay looked expectantly at me. "Oh my god! She had to have been pregnant with him before she left me with Gramma...jeez! Poor Jakey...makes me really not want to find her now..only reason I tried before was because I thought she should know that her own Mother had passed away...." Taylor had laid his hand on my arm and Lacey was livid. "What kind of woman could do that to her own children?" she sputtered. "I could never.." "I know YOU wouldn't do that Lacey..calm down..I've been fine with it for a long time. I'm glad I found Jake, though. Damn! I have a brother... that's such a bizzare thought for me to get used to. I never dreamed I'd have more blood family, somewhere." I said. "It never even occured to me.." Taylor squeezed my hand, so I smiled up at him. "It's okay, Tay. I told you before...I haven't had the desire to look for her, OR my father in a long time. I probably never will. But now that I know about Jake, I most certainly will NOT cut him off. I liked him before I knew we were related." I said. |
| Lacey and Zac stacked the dishes on the cart for room service to pick up, while Ike and Tay moved me to the couch in the entertainment area. We were in the same suite that they had stayed in the first time they had been here. Zac settled himself on the floor in front of the playstation, while I rested my sore leg on a pillow on the coffee table. Tay came and sat next to me, slipping his arm behind me and around my shoulder. I rested my head on his chest and relaxed. we watched Zac play video games and talked a while longer. Ike and lacey were both getting excited about their upcoming wedding. I made a couple of suggestions to Lacey, she seemed to be stressing already about a couple things she didn't need to worry about for another month or so, and she pulled a list from her purse and wrote them down quickly. "I never would have thought of that, Jess." she gushed. "Thank you so much." "Just seems logical, Lace.." I said. "No sense in ruining your day with dumb stuff. You're supposed to be HAPPY, not stressed, on your wedding day." I couldn't stifle a yawn. "Jessie, I think you should try to get some sleep, now." Taylor said softly. "We're tired, too. Aren't we Ike? Plus we have to be up early to catch that flight home.." Lacey said quickly, and pulled Ike up from the couch. They went into their room in the suite. Zac was oblivious. Taylor lifted me up and started to carry me to his bedroom, as Zac, without ever looking up from his video game, commented, "If he goes in there with you, Jess, you won't get any sleep.." Tay shot him a dirty look, which he didn't see, and I giggled. Zac just kept playing his game. I leaned my head on Taylor's shoulder and lifted my chin to put a soft kiss on his neck. "It's okay baby, I wasn't planning on sleeping right away." I whispered. taylor looke at me in surprise and then grinned. He pushed the bedroom door open with his foot and kicked it shut behind him, then set me on the bed and sat down next to me. |
| I scooted back on the bed so that my leg was straight out and supported, and Tay laid back with his head supported on his hands. He stared at the ceiling and let out a sigh. I leaned toward him and looked into his eyes, which were glossed over again with unshed tears. I brushed back his hair from his face and laid my hand on his cheek. "What is it, Tay?" I asked. He turned his head toward me and I saw a tear slip down his cheek. "Tay?" "Jessie, I should have let you kill him." he said flatly. "Oh...Tay, no...no...baby don't." I turned my body to pull him into my arms and had to groan a little in pain. "Please, Tay..don't...oh..god." I choked back a sob as I hugged him to me and stroked his hair. I could hear him breathing harder and could feel his body shaking with anger. "Jessie I am serious," he said angrily. "I wanted to do it myself, especially when I saw you on the floor crying with your leg like that..how the hell did you get up and do what you did? And WHY? Now look at you, now your leg is messed up and you could lose your chance to compete, and I feel like it's my fault.." he stopped short and just stared at me for a moment. "I'm sorry, Jess." he said in a low voice. "SORRY? YOU? Taylor are you absolutely insane? None of this was your fault. Eric would have done something else later on and I would have had to put him in his place anyway...you said it yourself, Tay. He's sick... I would not trade any of the time that we have been together..short as it's been..for ANYTHING in the world. I love you, and I broke his stupid arm because he tried to attack you when you had your back turned, the coward." I was angry all over again. "Taylor, my leg was already hurt before I kicked him, babe. I messed it up when I finished the last of that routine, I kicked Eric's bag over to get the ice pack that was in there and that's when I saw he had my locket and I snapped. I was already pissed anyway...god Tay...it's NOT your fault!" I said quickly and then cupped his face in my hands and kissed him. "Please don't do that to yourself..." His arms came up around me and held me to him. I felt him run his hand through the back of my hair and then move to my shoulder. He pushed me gently back on the bed. "Be careful of your leg, Jess." he said softly as he looked down at me through his long golden bangs. I had to reach up and brush them out of his face. I tucked one side behind his ear for him. I wanted to see his eyes, clear blue and looking right into my soul. "Jess, I do feel like it's my fault. Sounds to me like he wouldn't have tried to hurt you if I hadn't come along..." he started to say. "Yeah, Tay, and I'd still have a hurt leg from over training, not knowing what to do with myself. No Grandma to take care of, no brother, no parents, just me, alone. Eric wouldn't have stood a chance with me no matter what. I never even dated in school, Tay. You hit me like a ton of bricks..." I couldn't continue. He was looking at me with a shocked expression on his face. "What?" I asked, "why are you looking at me like that?" "Jess, you never..?" the question was written all over his face. I had to take a deep breath before I could continue. |
| "No, Taylor. Never. It happened so fast with us, and I wasn't sure you'd be back. I wanted to be with you, even if only for that little bit..." I didn't know how to finish, so I just laid there, looking at him. I still didn't know what else to say. "God, Jessie..." he said softly, and kissed me so passionately I thought I would melt. My hands went to his hair, always magnetized by it's golden silky, sexiness. I kissed him back, loving the taste of his soft lips and the warmth of his body pressed to mine. |