Loving Taylor - Loving Bad Series (Sample of Published Book)

Chapter 2 - Part 2

The next morning I began to surface. Remembering the girl from the night before, my hand searched the space beside me. It was empty and the sheets were cold. She was gone. I opened my eyes and confirmed what I already figured out.

Still struggling to wake up, I rubbed my eyes and yawned. Where was she? She'd been so out of it last night I had expected to wake up with her still sound asleep beside me. Had she gone downstairs to get some food?

I got out of bed and pulled on my jeans. I yawned again as I descended the stairs, listening for any sound that confirmed she was still in the house.

"Morning." The familiar sound of Slater eating a bowl of cereal from the sofa stopped me.

"Hey," I said. I didn't see Taylor but she could still be in the kitchen. My eyes went to the doorway of the kitchen.

"You looking for something?" Slater said, watching me.

I wasn't comfortable admitting to my best friend that a girl had slept over in my bed and nothing had happened.

"Or someone?" he concluded.

"Did she leave?" I asked, knowing he already knew about Taylor.

He nodded as he spooned another mouthful into his mouth.

I hadn't expected that. It was the first time a girl had left before I had woken up. Most girls stayed as long as they could.

"She left first thing this morning. She tried to sneak out."

I nodded, still trying to figure out why she had snuck out like that. I dropped down in the chair across from Slater.

"She didn't want to tell me her name." He was still grinning.

"Really?" I looked at him and he nodded.

"Why are you looking so confused?"

"Usually I have to shove them out the door," I murmured, still trying to figure out the blue-eyed girl who had left me feeling disjointed.

"She looked quite mortified when I caught her trying to leave," he reminisced with a smile.

There was no sneaking in or out with Slater around. He was usually awake, and when he couldn't sleep he usually spent time on his laptop or watching TV.

His statement wasn't making me feel any better. Was I that bad that she had snuck out so she wouldn't be associated with me? That was a first. Usually girls couldn't wait to boast about bedding me. I didn't like the feeling of inadequacy her actions made me feel.

Was she embarrassed that she'd been so drunk? I began to think back to the night before. She had looked pretty sober when I had left to go to the kitchen during the party. I hadn't been there long and when I had found her again she had been so out of it. I frowned. I had an uncomfortable feeling that maybe someone had given her something.

"You okay?" Slater asked, watching my thought process across my face.

"Yeah," I said. I wasn't ready to analyze Taylor and how she made me feel. I didn't want to look closer for fear of where it could lead.

But what if someone had planned to do something to her? The thoughts that followed only angered me.

I left Slater to go back upstairs. While I showered I debated all the reasons to track her down to check on her and all the reasons to keep as far away from her as physically possible. Even though the reasons to keep my distance outweighed the reasons to locate her, I found myself downstairs asking if he had ever seen her around before.

"Nope," he answered. "But I could probably find out."

"Thanks."

A cup of coffee later and he had given me the dorm number of where she was staying.

"I'll see you later," I told him as he dug into his second bowl of cereal.

"Later," he said with a mouthful of food.

The dorms were close by so I walked. It would also give me some time to prepare before I saw her again.

This is not a good idea, I reminded myself but I ignored my own warning.

Something beyond what I understood drove me forward. I'm just making sure she got back to her dorm safe. It was a blatant lie. The truth was I wanted to see her again and I couldn't explain why.

Slater had told me she was rooming with Jordan so I knew I wouldn't be getting a friendly reception if Jordan answered the door. Surprisingly Slater had never met her before. It was a good thing because his reputation was as bad as mine so she would detest him as much as she did me.

I took the stairs to the second floor. A couple of girls passed me on the way and gave me inviting smiles. I nodded politely but I was only there to see one girl.

I searched for the right room as I walked with my hands shoved into the front pockets of my jeans. There was no mistaking the tightening in my stomach. I was nervous. It wasn't a feeling I liked at all.

A few doors down I found the right room number and knocked. Jordan answered with a glare.

"Whoever you're looking for isn't here," she said with her usual hostility she always showed when dealing with me.

I looked over her shoulder and found Taylor sitting on her bed with an open book in her hands, looking a little surprised to see me. Her blue eyes were wide and her mouth was slightly open.

My visit was unexpected. Most girls would be fawning over me, but she looked like she would rather be anywhere else but here. She blushed at my direct gaze and Jordan noticed. She stepped back and looked between us.

Jordan's reaction told me that Taylor hadn't told her about last night. It confirmed that she was embarrassed and that did nothing for my growing feelings of inadequacy when it came to her. She didn't do anything like other girls, which made me feel like I was out of my depth.

See, she's fine, I told myself. You can leave now. But I didn't move.

Taylor stood and dropped the book onto her bed. She walked over to the door and her roommate moved back. She paused in front of me. Our eyes met for a moment before she stepped past me. I followed her down the passageway. She was probably looking for somewhere more private to talk.

A few girls walked by us as I trailed her but my full concentration was on her and the other girls passed in a blur without any acknowledgement from me. Taylor opened the door to the stairway and I followed in behind her. The door closed behind me as we faced each other.