Old feelings!

Ridge brought Taylor to Felicia's apartment. He offered her to stay with him for the next while. The apartment had two bedrooms, so it was big enough for both of them. The building was also very well secured and had a reception area. This way the risk anyone unauthorized, especially Blake, would show up unannounced was pretty low. Taylor gratefully accepted his offer. It was very comforting for her to know that she wasn't alone and could be in a place where Blake couldn't find her.

They sat together over a cup of tea and Taylor told him what had led to the escalation. A few days ago she had discovered by chance that Blake had idiosyncratically lowered the dosage of his medication. That was probably the explanation why he had lost his temper so often recently.

"Unfortunately, these psychotropic drugs also have very strong side effects, they can affect your achievement potential. Blake was obviously afraid he wouldn't be able to function with all his power if he continued taking the full dose. That's why he reduced it without my knowledge."

In a quiet moment she had confronted him about her observation. At first Blake had reacted in a reasonable way. Taylor had tried to convince him to see a doctor and get his medication adjusted properly again. At first Blake was willing too. The next morning, however, his mood had completely changed. When she mentioned to him she had found a clinic where they could find the best treatment for him, he had become terribly furious with her and had lost control of himself completely. He had started a huge fight. During this argument, Taylor in the heat of the moment accidentally blurted out that she was going to leave him. He had then overpowered her and locked her in the guest room. He had told her he would keep her there until she regained her senses. Blake had also forced her to call Colleen and tell her this story about visiting her father.

Ridge was shocked by what ordeal Taylor had been through. He then explained how it came that he finally had broken into her house. From his initial suspicions, because she hadn't called him anymore, to the many inconsistencies on site. Taylor snuggled against him gratefully.

"I'm glad you were so persistent! I really thought I wouldn't get out soon. Blake was incredibly careful, I had no chance! He was also extremely unpredictable and irrational. He was a completely different person. I couldn't get through to him at all and I was really afraid of what he'll do to me if I try to escape. Seriously Ridge, I would have been lost without you. You're my hero!"

"Oh come on, don't exaggerate now!

"I'm not exaggerating at all! Without you I would never have gotten away from him and wouldn't have been safe now!" Ridge put his arm around her.

"Believe me Taylor, no one is happier than me that you're finally away from that maniac and I'll make sure he never comes near you again!"

Later, as they were getting her stuff out of the car and Taylor was making herself at home in one of the bedrooms, Ridge noticed how she kept doubling over in pain and clutching her side. He insisted on taking her to the hospital immediately. At first Taylor resisted. The thought of having to reveal her true condition to a doctor made her more than uncomfortable. But finally the pain got too bad and she gave in.

Ridge waited impatiently until Taylor's exams were completed. He sincerely hoped she wasn't seriously injured. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a doctor came up to him and asked him into her consulting room. She first explained to him that Taylor had released her from medical confidentiality so that they could speak openly. Ridge immediately inquired about Taylor's health.

"She's doing well under the circumstances. I haven't been able to find any serious injuries for now. She has a few hematomas and some superficial injuries. One rib is also slightly cracked. But it's not as dramatic as it might seem. However, during my examinations I discovered numerous old injuries, some of them were a few years old. It's good that she's now finally away from her husband. You should take good care of her in the near future! I'll give you some ointment and make some adjustments for your prescription. Otherwise, there's nothing you can do other than be there for her."

"So that means I can take her home with me?"

"Yes! I would have preferred to keep her here for at least one night for observation, but she categorically refused! Apparently you are the only one she trusts at the moment and in this situation it's most important that she gets a feeling of security again and for medical reasons it is quite justifiable! If something should happen, you can call me at any time!"

She gave Ridge her card. He thanked him and was about to get up when the doctor stopped him once more.

"By the way, there is something else I want to discuss with you. I have written a detailed report that you can also submit to the police. You should definitely convince her to file a report. Not at least so that she can take advantage of all possible protection!" Ridge knew this wouldn't be easy, but he nodded to the doctor.

She led him next door, where Taylor was already waiting for him. She seemed to be in a big hurry to get out of here. On the drive home, Ridge wanted to know why Taylor had refused to stay in the hospital.

"I don't want to be stared at like an animal in the zoo. One nurse kept peeking at me very strangely from the side the whole time. That was enough for me." Ridge now understood her motivations.

At home he suggested she should take some rest. Taylor was indeed quite exhausted from the tension of the last few days. When Ridge came into her bedroom a little later, she was already curled up under the blanket.

"Here! The doctor wrote down a mild sedative for you." He handed her a pill. She reached for his hand.

"Thanks Ridge! Thanks for everything!"

"You don't have to thank me all the time! That's all a given. That's what friends are for! You would do anything to help me as well in a similar situation!"

"True! But I'm not used to someone doing so much for me, just like that! Ever since I was a little girl, it's always been the case that I've taken care of everyone..."

"Yes, and now things are going the other way around! So just enjoy being pampered. I'm happy if I can do something for you!"

"And Felicia is really okay with me living here too?!"

"Of course, don't worry! I can't reach her right now, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind. You can stay here as long as you want!" Taylor smiled at him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

While Taylor was asleep, Ridge took action. First, he made a few phone calls to the Forrester Creation's security team to organize some protective measures for himself and Taylor. He then took a cab to Taylor's house to get her car. He was relieved not to run into Blake.

At dinner he cautiously broached the subject of the police. Taylor knew there was no way around it. However, she felt pretty bad about turning in her own husband. However, she realized that she had to do it, not at least for Blake's own safety. Taylor feared Blake would completely lose the ground once he realized she had escaped. In this situation, he was not only a danger to others, but above all to himself. Therefore, it would be best if they would find him as soon as possible.

Ridge accompanied Taylor to the police station the next morning. They were lucky and came across a very competent, empathetic police officer who showed a lot of understanding of the situation. Taylor reported on Blake's outbursts and his medical condition. Ridge also testified and gave evidence about all the incidents he had observed and witnessed recently. Finally, Taylor gave the officer all the contact information and locations where Blake might be. It was entirely possible that he had gone to Texas, either to look for her or to escape. The police officer wrote everything down and promised to get in touch with them as soon as they had any new information.

For the next few days, Taylor and Ridge didn't hear anything and Taylor hardly dared to get out of the house for fear of Blake. She also slept poorly and suffered from nightmares. She often wandered around the apartment restlessly at night. Ridge discovered her on the couch one night, shivering.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah! I just had a weird dream and then I couldn't get back to sleep. That's why I made myself some tea!" She took a sip from her mug.

He sat down next to her and rubbed her arms to warm her up.

"Better?"

"Much better!" She snuggled up in his embrace.

Before they knew it, they were both asleep.

The next morning she woke up in his arms.

"Hey good morning!" She blinked in confusion. Ridge grinned. "Don't panic, this time I know nothing happened." Taylor chuckled. She had just had the exact same thought.

had thoughts. She stretched.

"It looks like it's becoming a habit that you fall asleep on the couch with me."

"Seems so, but next time I would prefer my bed!" Ridge stretched and grabbed the back of his neck. He was pretty tense. Taylor started massaging him and he immediately felt much better.

"Mhm, if I get a massage from you every morning, I'll keep spending my nights on the couch with you!"

"I bet you wish!" she laughed.

The first time Ridge stayed with her during the day and worked at home. He explained the situation to his parents and Thorne in brief, concise words. He didn't go into any details, he only mentioned that Taylor was currently having major marital problems and was in need of his support. Stephanie clearly expressed her displeasure. She didn't like the fact that Taylor was taking such a big place in Ridge's life again. Eric and Thorne were more interested in Ridge's motives. They asked if there was something going on between him and Taylor, but Ridge denied this and explained he just wanted to be there for her as a friend. The two of them had some difficulties buying. Thorne didn't let go.

"Come on Ridge! You, the playboy of the century, are telling me you let an attractive woman live with you out of pure charity?" Ridge wasn't in the mood for such a discussion.

"Oh, believe what you want!" was his only answer.

In fact, Ridge and Taylor had become much closer through all the time they spent together and the recent events. Although they were not romantically involved, their relationship could also no longer be described as pure friends. There was much more between them. Both were well aware that they were about to develop very strong feelings for each other again.

One day the police contacted them, unfortunately with no redeeming news. Blake was still on the run. So far there hasn't been the slightest trace of him. Ridge tried to calm Taylor down. The police would find him at some point. He couldn't hide forever. But Taylor knew she wouldn't be able to find peace until they had found Blake. Until then, the fear remained that he could ambush her at any time. She sincerely hoped he hadn't harmed himself. She often wondered where Blake could be.

Ridge wanted to take her mind off all this trouble. He suggested they should go for a ride.

"It's such a beautiful day and you haven't been outside forever! No wonder you are in a foul mood if you keep staring at the wall!" Taylor agreed and they decided to drive to Santa Monica.

As they were ready to go, Ridge had to grin at Taylor's appearance. She wore large sunglasses and had her hair tied up in a scarf. Just for fun, he put a large straw hat on her head which belonged to his sister.

"Voila! No one will recognize you anymore!"

On the beach they walked barefoot in the sea, laughing and joking around with each other Taylor noticed many people were staring at her.

I guess, they assume you are some VIP, who doesn't want to be seen with her new squeeze." Taylor teased him back.

"You honestly believe you could pick up any celebrity you want?"

"Hey, I'm a good looking, charming, handsome designer! The world belongs to me!" Taylor mockingly rolled with her eyes. "Hey don't forget, you used to melt away when I played my charm on you!" Taylor laughed out.

"Oh you think so! It was more the other way around! You were eating out of my hands!" Ridge suddenly took her in his arms.

"It's so nice to see you happy and carefree again!"

"Yes, I have to say that it's great to be here and rewind! That was a really good idea of yours and I'm glad you convinced me. You always seem to know exactly what's best for me these days. I feel very comfortable in your presence!"

Ridge glanced into her eyes with a very serious expression.

"I'm glad you said that, Taylor. It means a lot to me and I want it to stay that way! I want you to always be fine from now on!" Taylor noticed a strange look and he was holding her almost convulsively.

"Ridge, why are you doing all this for me? I know you said it's because we're friends and you made that promise to me. But is that really the only reason? I kind of feel like there's more to it than that!"

"You know me so well, Doc! There's actually something else, but it's not that easy to explain!" She grabbed his hand and showed him to sit on the sand with her.

"We have all the time in the world! Just start and tell me what's going on in your mind!"

"The time when you were still with Blake and I knew what he was doing to you……..that was a horrible time for me. Although you always tried to calm me down and take away my worries, I was terribly afraid every day and every night. I was afraid for you! I didn't want to lose another person who is important to me!" Taylor sensed what Ridge was getting at.

"You're talking about your first wife, Caroline?!"

"Yes! I know it was a completely different situation back then. Caroline was sick. But my feelings were the same. When I found out about her leukemia, it was already too late. I couldn't do anything for her except be with her and watch how she disappeared more and more every day and at some point she was just gone without me being able to do anything about it. I felt extremely helpless and powerless back then and the exact same feelings haunted me now, because I couldn't protect you from him, because I couldn't stop him from hurting you!"

"But you still helped me tremendously, Ridge! Especially because you were just there for me! Without your support, I would never have gotten through this time. And I'm sure Caroline felt the same way. Maybe you couldn't do anything about her illness or against the fact that she was dying. But I'm sure your support was very valuable to her and you helped her to die peacefully under the given circumstances. And that is actually a beautiful thing! You shouldn't estimate it!"

Ridge looked at Taylor with admiration. He was always fascinated by how she was able to find exactly the right words in every situation.

"You're probably right! Still, I wished I could have done more for her. In any case, with you and Blake I didn't want to just stand by helplessly and watch. I couldn't allow the woman I love to be taken away from me again."

Taylor stared at him with wide eyes. She swallowed. Ridge stroked her face. They looked directly into each other's eyes. Slowly they drew closer. But at the last moment, Taylor pulled her head away. She stood up and walked away. Ridge was irritated at first, but then he went to her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to intimidate you!".

"You didn't, Ridge!" She turned to him. "I love you too! I have always loved you! Even though I married Blake and was once very happy and in love with him, a part of my heart has always belonged to you! Immediately after we met again here in LA, I felt that this connection between us was still there. My feelings for you grew stronger, even if I resisted them for a while. But ultimately they helped me to distance myself emotionally from Blake and get away from him. But…..I don't think either of us is ready, Ridge! I'm still married to Blake and you're still engaged to Brooke. These are not the perfect circumstances for a fresh start!"

"I hate to admit it, but you're right as always!" They both laughed and hugged each other. Ridge couldn't get Taylor's words out of his head.

At night as they sat together over a glass of wine, he decided to talk to her about a topic that had been bothering him for a long time.

"Taylor, why did you leave me? If you truly loved me, why did you break off our engagement?" Taylor was more than uncomfortable with this topic.

"It doesn't matter anymore, Ridge! This is way in the past!"

"It's important to me! This question has bothered me for years. I never really understood it. You just left me there without a reasonable explanation. I was devastated at the time. At some point I even asked myself whether our love, our entire relationship, was real or whether I had just been deluding myself all these years. Maybe that was one of the reasons why, after our separation, I threw myself into one amorous adventure after another just to forget you and our shared time. The memory was just too painful." Taylor fought back her tears.

"I'm sorry, Ridge! I really didn't want it that way. But I didn't see any other solution at this time. Our relationship wouldn't have had a chance. You would never have been happy with me. But you have to believe me, my feelings for you were real and sincere! I loved you more than anything else in the world. Breaking off my engagement to you was the hardest step I've ever done in my life."

"Then why did you do it? Obviously something happened back then that you kept secret from me until today. Don't you think I have a right to know the truth?!"

"Please Ridge! Trust me! It's better for you if you let this go." But Ridge didn't let her go.

"Please Taylor, I just have to know! If you ever cared about me, tell me the real reason!" Taylor became more and more desperate.

"I can't tell you the truth, Ridge! I don't want to hurt you and I want to protect you!"

"From what? What happened back then?" Taylor saw that Ridge wouldn't back down.

"All right, if you really want to know, then I'll tell you. But I have to warn you! You won't like the truth and you'll definitely be very angry and disappointed!"

"I'm prepared for anything!"

Taylor took a deep breath. It wasn't easy for her to find the right words, for what she was about to tell him.