The light rain drops soon turned into a down pour as Taylor drove her black 1967 Chevy Impala down the wet and slick road. The moon gave off no light, as it was covered by the ominous clouds and the night was closing in. The argument with Ken played over and over in the blonde's head. He was nothing more than a cocky asshole, but yet somehow he always got to her.
Taylor hated to say it, but maybe she had an ever increasing soft spot for him. His cocky smirk, gleaming blue eyes, and that way he would just look at her like he really knew her. The way he made her feel as of late. Taylor's thoughts were interrupted by the vibrating of her cellphone. Without checking the caller ID, she answered albeit irritably,
"Hello?"
That unmistakable voice boomed through the device,
"Taylor Lynn, are you freakin' crazy? Why the hell would you go out into this storm?"
Taylor couldn't help but roll her eyes, and hold back any raw emotions. She wasn't prepared to fight with him again.
Taylor scoffed,
"Wow Kenneth you really give a damn, or are you stupid? Ten minutes ago you were practically telling me you didn't care what happened to me. Oh, and that I was just a spoiled little girl-"
"Dammit Taylor," she heard him curse and then the sound of tires screeching before he spoke again, "just tell me where the hell you are!"
She was silent for a moment as she turned down the road she remembered passing on the way to the arena before the show began. Thoughts swirled through her head as worry bubbled in her stomach. The rain was falling harder, and the pace of her wipers still couldn't compensate for the amount of moisture hitting the windshield. The worry soon became eerie.
"I'm on Erie Road; now why would you want to know?"
Ken audibly sighed and then cursed at some driver who laid on his horn,
"Jesus Christ, I want to know so my ass doesn't get lost in this storm before I find your crazier ass."
Taylor couldn't help but release a small smile; so he did care. Ken Anderson was one of those guys who rarely showed how they felt; only loved 'me, myself, and I.' To say Taylor and Ken never saw eye to eye was the understatement of the century.
Stopping at the sign she murmured,
"You came after me?"
The Wisconsin native couldn't help but let out a chuckle at her. There was something about her that brought out a side of him he never knew existed; he cursed that damned cliché. Taking a breath he continued on his quest to find Taylor. The fact she was driving a black car in this bad of weather conditions didn't help the situation either.
"Yes; if I didn't…I just…"
As Ken trailed off, Taylor continued on and slowly came to a bridge. Her patience was wearing thin, and her sight got worse. The blue eyed girl just wanted to get somewhere and wait for Ken to find her. It struck her as odd that maybe that was what she had been waiting for her whole life. Maybe Taylor had been waiting for Ken to do more than find her.
Right before Taylor went to say anything, the headlights from the opposing car came towards her, as if the driver was losing control due to the slickness of the roads. As the car, that Taylor realized was an SUV of some sort, swerved, it ran into her, resulting in her losing control and running into the metal bridge. The sound of glass shattering and a blood curdling scream on behalf of Taylor caused Ken's heart rate to speed and him to yell,
"Taylor!"
Taylor couldn't answer him; the car was very quickly busting through the bridge and into the river that was increasing in volume due to the rain. Somehow in the fall, she managed to get lose and out of her seat belt; Taylor floated and tried keeping both her and her phone above the water. Ken kept saying her name over and over, only slightly relieved when he heard her choke out,
"Ken, I was hit…the car into bridge and river…the water's too high…I'm sorry…." Soon all Ken could hear was silence. Throwing his phone down to the passenger floorboard his fists banged on the dashboard,
"Fuck! Where the hell is this bridge?"
Afraid that time was running short; Ken began speeding to find her. Memories haunted him like a ghost in this dark night. The first time he saw her, and all the other times he completely made an ass of out himself. Her blue eyes so bright and then dim as he told her he didn't give a damn what she did. They weren't together, but could he really call them friends? They were…complicated to put it simply. The Green Bay native didn't know what he'd do if she were dead. Yes, she left because of him and he'd be guilty, but deep down the older man knew that wasn't the only reason.
"Dammit Taylor…I love you," he muttered under his breath. His blue eyes went wide as he realized what the hell he had just admitted. Him in love; never did he think it'd be Taylor Levesque of all the women on this planet. "Please be okay."
As if his prayers were answered, Ken immediately came upon the broken bridge. Quickly shutting off his car, he didn't even bother shutting his door as he sprinted to the water.
"Taylor," he yelled as loud as he could over the various sounds of water hitting and thunder clapping. "Taylor!" Looking into the black water, a gleam caught his eye; a car.
Without a second thought, Ken jumped into the cold, cruel waters. Swimming against the harsh current was proving difficult, but somewhat luckily Taylor's car was still partially above the water. Taking a deep breath, and then holding it, the WWE Superstar made his move. Going under, he yanked open the passenger door, to find Taylor. Her unconscious body was just floating there, and to Ken she was still beautiful. Blood from the hit she took on the way down was coming from her head in what he could best describe as clumps.
Ken's heart broke and tears pricked at his eyes. Hurriedly, he grabbed her weak body into his muscular arms, and swam with her; up to the top.
"Ahhh," the blonde man gasped as he caught his breath after breaking the surface. The driver of the other car was on the phone with 911 as Ken carried Taylor up the bank and laid her on the hard pavement of the black road. Taking off his hoodie, the cold breeze caused goose bumps to arise, but he used the cloth material to put pressure on Taylor's head wound. The other person stepped forward, but Ken screamed at them,
"Stay back you sonofabitch" Fighting his anger and hatred for the stranger, he knew the five-foot-seven girl laid out in front of him was much more important. Taylor had no pulse, and Ken immediately took to mouth to mouth.
"C'mon Taylor, please wake up!" Try one failed.
"Pretty girl, open your eyes okay? I need to see them." Try two failed immediately after.
Several more failed attempts, and Ken couldn't help the tears that were falling from his cerulean eyes. This couldn't be it; their story had yet to begin. Placing his head on her cold chest, he half pleaded and half sobbed,
"Dammit; Taylor why are you being so freakin' stubborn? I'm sorry okay? I didn't mean it; just please wake up."
Several seconds of deafening silence other than Ken's crying passed. Then just before he blinked, Ken could've sworn he saw Taylor's fingers twitch.
"Babe," Ken questioned with some hope. After more chest compressions, the six-foot-two man placed his lips on Taylor's as he gave her another round of mouth to mouth. Then when he pulled away, he slowly leaned back in and kissed her. Her lips were chapped, but Ken thought it'd wake her up. Things like that always worked in those movies his niece watched.
Then it happened.
Taylor shot up, spewing water everywhere and coughing. Far in the dreary distance, the heavenly sounds of an ambulance could be heard. Pulling Taylor's shivering body into his warmer one, Ken held her close as he kissed all over her face and lips.
"K…Ken?" Taylor slurred as her eyes opened fully this time. She looked at him as if he were a three headed mutant. Ken cleared his throat, afraid to freak her out too much.
"Oh God Taylor, you gave me a freakin' heart attack. I thought I lost you."
Pushing away from him, his heart broke; did she hate him that much? As the two pairs of blue eyes locked, Taylor didn't care about the blood that had flowed down her forehead; she only cared about him. Instead of wiping away her blood, she softly reached out and wiped away Ken's tears. Shocked at the action, he was first confused, but then kissed her wrist as she rested a shaky hand on his stubbly cheek.
"You saved me," she whispered, "why would you do that?"
It was Ken's turn to look at her like she was crazy. Pressing his wet forehead to hers as the rain still came down around them, but less than before, he huskily spoke; the mint of his gum fanning her face,
"I owed you for saving me, and I couldn't leave things how they were Taylor."
She sighed, and a sleepy smile graced her features,
"Like?"
"You and I fighting like that; because I love you Taylor Levesque. Yes I'm an asshole, but it took almost losing you to realize I want to be that asshole that's good enough to be with you," Ken's voice cracked at the admission.
Tears pin pricked Taylor's eyes as she whispered,
"I love you too…asshole."
Ken let out a hearty laugh as the ambulance pulled up. Pulling away, Taylor managed to lay a soft kiss to his neck as she snuggled into his arms. Soon the paramedics had Taylor on a stretcher in the ambulance, with Ken holding her hand.
"Ken?"
Pushing her hair away he nodded,
"I'm still here baby."
"Will you be in my hospital room when I wake up?"
Kissing her forehead one last time before they drove off,
"I'll always be wherever you are pretty girl."
