“Jennifer, why did you bring my laptop with us?” Kelsey asked her. She hadn’t even noticed. “Kelsey, forget it. He’s back,” Jennifer said with such fear in her voice Kelsey knew exactly who she was talking about. Her stalker. Kelsey grabbed the computer and looked at the e-mail. It had a picture of Kelsey that said, “I know where you are Kelsey - and soon you’ll know where I am. You’re mine.” Kelsey took one look and bit her lip to try to keep from crying.
Kelsey couldn’t keep the tears from coming down. She ran out of the room crying. She ran by Taylor, who attempted to run after her, but Jennifer grabbed his arm firmly. “Don’t. She needs some time.” Taylor looked at Jennifer, confused. “What’s wrong with Kelsey, Jeni?” Zac asked. When he asked, Jennifer just burst into to tears and started crying, “It’s him. It’s all his fault.” Zac looked at her. He couldn’t stand seeing her cry. He sat down beside her and put his arm around her and wiped her tears off of her cheeks. “Please don’t cry. I can’t stand it when you do, darling.”
Normally Taylor would have raised his eyebrows at that word: darling. But as for now, Kelsey was obviously in pain and Taylor for some reason felt it. He could tell. His heart was heavy with sorrow. He didn’t know why. But he was soon going to find out. “Jennifer, will you please tell us why you and Kelsey are so upset?”
Jennifer sniffled and said quietly, “You guys, Kelsey has a stalker. He’s been sending her threatening letters and e-mails for about two months. And I think he’s closing in,” she said, quietly pointing to the laptop. Taylor was in shock. He was also extremely angry. How could anyone hurt a sweet girl like Kelsey? He intended to find out. He opened the laptop and looked at the screen and saw the e-mail. “The jerk,” he thought.
He took one look at the screen, then remembered Kelsey’s tear-streaked face running by him. He had to comfort her. No one was going to hurt her if he had anything to do with it. He walked out of the room, cursing under his breath, and looked around for Kelsey. He saw her on the balcony, just standing there.
He slowly opened the door and walked toward her. He walked until he was right next to her. “Kelsey?” he said in his softest, quietest voice. She slowly turned her face toward him. Taylor saw the fear and hurt in her eyes. “Just hold me Taylor, please.” she quietly whispered. Taylor obeyed and wrapped his arms around her trembling body.
This seemed to trigger all of Kelsey’s tears. “Why me, Taylor? Why me? I don’t want it, I don’t want it.” Kelsey cried over and over again. Taylor held her close to him. He felt her tears streak through his shirt. He pulled her closer and did something he had always wanted to do: he ran his fingers threw her hair. He whispered in her ear, “Shhh...shhh. It’s okay, Kelsey. It’s okay. I promise nothing will happen to you. Please, please don’t cry.” He repeated this over and over in a soft, comforting voice. Kelsey continued crying, “Taylor, I’m just so scared. What is.” he going to do to me? I’m so scared
Taylor couldn’t stand seeing her so scared, so fragile, so vulnerable. He knew he loved her now. He hated watching her cry. He whispered, “Kelsey, please don’t cry. Please don’t cry.” Kelsey held onto him causing their bodies to become even closer. “I’ll try, Taylor. Just don’t let me go,” she whispered, already attempting to stop her tears.
Taylor wrapped his arms around her. God, how he hated to see her cry. He hated it. Just then she looked up at him. He looked into her eyes. He read them just as he had done earlier. He saw so much deep fear he wanted to kill the jerk who had done this to her. There was no way he could possibly stand to see her in pain.
They remained that way for about ten minutes. Taylor just whispered, “Kelsey, I promise, nothing will happen to you. Nothing. I won’t let it.” Kelsey looked up at him and smiled through her tears, “Promise?” “Promise.” Taylor said, looking at the smile he loved so much.
When Kelsey finally felt ready to go inside, she looked at Taylor and then looked inside. “Looks like Jennifer and Zac are really attached,” she commented. Taylor looked inside and saw Zac holding Jennifer as they sat on the couch, kissing away her tears. He thought, “I wish that could be us.” He immediately shoved the thought out of his mind.
