Chapter 5

Taylor and jamie walked in the house, both chattering about their fantastic day when taylor noticed a suitcase at the door.

Scott appeared in the hall, "I've got a business meeting in L.A, I'll be back Friday night"

A business meeting, scott hadn't been away for a single business trip since him and taylor had been together, there was something not right but taylor just couldn't put her finger on it.

Scott pushed past taylor and jamie and left without another word, 4 whole days without scott.

After getting jamie his dinner and putting him to bed, taylor walked around the house, she was finally able to feel comfortable in her own home, without having to hide from scott.

As taylor walked into the kitchen she pulled out her cell and dialled the first number she could think of, " summer, hey…"

" I've been waiting for you to call all day" summer sounded starnge

" why, whats going on, you sound strange is everything ok?" panic started in tailors stomach

" everythings fine, better than fine actually, can you come round tomorrow, seth's going to fire up the grill and sandy, kirsten and soph are coming over too"

" of course we'll be over, are you sure everythings ok though?"

"you'll find out tomorrow"

Taylor hung up, something was wrong, summer never kept anything to herself.

All night taylor tossed and turned, she was in her own bed in her own room and she couldn't stop thinking about how summer sounded on the phone, no matter how hard taylor tried to sleep she knew it wasn't going to come.

The following day taylor and jamie headed over to summer and seth's. jamie almost burst through the door looking for parker, they were best friends. " parkers out back by the pool" summer said as she bent to snuggle jamie, but just as she said the word pool to jamie she stood quickly and said " but you keep away from the water ok". jamie nodded and ran off to find parker.

" oh my god" taylor suddenly froze, as the realisation sank in that she had never thanked ryan the night of Julie and franks wedding for saving jamie.

" what, what is it ?" summer faced taylor as if something bad was happening.

" I never even thanked ryan, taylor looked at her feet, she couldn't believe she hadn't said thank you even after the perfect day they'd had together yesterday.

" thanked ryan for what?"

" for saving jamie the other night"

" taylor there has been so much going on, he knows how grateful you are, trust me ok?" summer was talking as she was busy preparing the food for seth to put on the grill.

" summer where's ryan, I have to tell him"

" tell me what?" ryan was just entering the kitchen to see if the food was ready, seth was on a schedule and everybody knew what that meant.

" I'll just take this out to seth, you know how he gets when the timings off" summer grabbed the food and left taylor and ryan alone.

Ryan watched as summer left and just as he turned to face taylor, she rushed at him, their lips locking so tenderly, he'd missed this. Her hands in his hair, his hands on her face. Taylor pulled away " thank you for saving jamie the other night, I completely forgot to say it before but I just remembered and well… before taylor could finish rambling ryan kissed her again.

Ryan pulled away from the kiss this time, what were they doing, taylor was with scott, but she had kissed him first, right.

Neither of them said anything.

Taylor let go of ryan, in as shocked daze, she wasn't a cheater, no matter how bad scott was, but she couldn't deny their chemistry or their history.

Seth entered the kitchen, taylor and ryan sprang right apart, seth could feel the tension in the room, as taylor rushed past him.

" summer forgot the burgers, so we are officially behind schedule, seth looked at his brother, " you ok man?"

Ryan didn't know what to say or where to start, " taylor kissed me"

Seth was shocked but not surprised, he knew that ryan and taylor were good together, " hey that's great right, I mean sure, that scott is a scary dude, and I will always be your wingman…." ryan interrupted him " she kissed me seth, I mean I love her, but she's with someone else".

"yer someone that's a complete moron if you ask me, mean like look at how she acted the other night when you were yelling at her, she was totally spooked."

Ryan shuddered at the thought of how he'd spoken to her that night, but he just couldn't get his head around the way taylor had flinched, surely if scott was hurting her she would of told someone.

Taylor quickly walked over to summer and pulled her to one side,

" easy taylor, I'm about to have a major rage blackout cos cohen is totally messing today up"

" I kissed ryan"

" oh my god, what? I mean.. like what are you going to do?"

" what am I going to do about what summer?"

" you are going to finish with scott right? I mean you and ryan are totally meant for each other and scott, well he really creeps me out" summer was nervous saying this, taylor was her best friend and here she was telling her she hated her boyfriend.

" I can't finish with scott, summer, yes I love ryan and yes I would love for him, me and jamie to be a proper family, but scott would kill me, I'm not just saying that he would literally kill me"

Summer was shocked, taylor had never spoken to her about scott before, and now there was no way to stop taylor as she told summer everything, like the time she had hid in a cupboard with jamie too scared of what he'd do to her, or when he punched her in the face because her top was too low, or how when jamie was just a year old he had head butted her because jamie was crying too loud and he couldn't hear the t.v.

Summer was shocked to the core, how could she not have seen this, the bruises, the signs, how taylor had withdrawn from herself.

" taylor you have to tell someone, and I'm not talking about me, you have to goto the police"

" I can't he will kill me summer, I'm not joking"

Taylor told summer in scotts exact words " no one will believe you, I'm a respected man of the community and I know a lot of people, and if they did, yer you could try running, but I'd always find you".

" summer please you can't even tell seth"

" but he's my husband taylor, we have no secrets" summer looked over at her husband.

" but he's ryans brother and we both know what ryan will do if he finds out, so please summer just let me handle things"

Summer reluctantly agreed.

Everybody was stood around chattering away when sandy stood up excited, " so come on guys, whats the big news

Summer looked at seth, who was grinning widely,

" we're pregnant" summer announced as seth slid his arm around his wifes waist.

Everyone crowded around them giving their congratulations and hugs, as taylor hugged summer, summer whispered in her ear,

" I can't have your blood on my hands taylor, I'm sorry"

Taylor knew that the moment everyone left, that summer would tell seth EVERYTHING.

It was nearing midnight and taylor was clutching at straws to keep everyone at summer and seth's, but people were yawning and jamie was asleep, she knew they'd have to go soon,

" so who's up for charades?" taylor looked around at the tired faces.

" sorry taylor, we need to be making a move" it was kirsten, sophie was already asleep too and sandy wasn't far off.

" right, I don't mean to sound rude but I'm tired and I need my energy for the next nine months so atwood please can you take taylor and jamie home?" summer was exhausted and the pleading look in her eyes got through to ryan.

Ryan carefully picked up jamie as taylor gathered their things, it was going to be a long walk home, they had so much to discuss.

They hadn't got far when ryan spoke, " so that kiss"

" oh that, I was saying thank you , you know for saving jamie, you know what I'm like ryan, remember henry michel, I married him cos he helped me, iw ent out with the dean cos he helped me it just seems to be something that I do " taylor laughed nervously she hoped this would put him off the fact that she meant every second of that kiss.

" that's exactly what I thought is was for" ryan laughed too, he knew she was lying through her teeth, why couldn't she just admit it, what is she so scared of?

They arrived at taylor's house, ryan didn't want to leave he wanted to put his son to bed, to fall asleep next to taylor and wake them both up with breakfast in bed the next day.

" do you want to put him to bed?" taylor smiled it was almost as if she could read his mind,

With a massive smile ryan followed taylor to jamies room and tucked him in, he felt that he could do this forever.

Taylor promised to meet ryan the next day so he could spend some time with jamie, ryan almost lent in for another kiss but stopped himself, " I should be going, see you tomorrow" and he left. Taylor shut the door and laid her head on it, she wanted him to stay so much it hurt.

As ryan entered the kitchen summer stiffened , he knew he'd interrupted something and it must be something huge, " I'm going to bed" summer announced and left the kitchen.

Ryan started to pour some coffee,

" ry, we need to talk"

" oh man, I knew me staying here was a problem"

" no, no it's not that, you know me and summer love having you here, and parkers just getting to know you… ryan interrupted " then what "

" its about taylor" ryan turned to face seth

" what about taylor?"

" hey first you gotta promise your not going to go all kid chino on me"

" seth… what about taylor" his hand were balling into fists.

" okay, she kinda told summer today that scott is just as bad as we thought, actually no he's worse than we thought"

" what do you mean worse?"

" well you know I said he's a scary dude and summer told you he creeps her out well its true, taylor told summer everything today and if I'm being honest its bad man, I'm talking it could be made in to a movie bad"

Ryan couldn't hear anymore, he left ,there was only one place he was heading at this time of night, taylors he needed answers and they couldn't wait anymore. Now he knew why she was so afraid, and why she was denying her feelings towards him.