"Well, well! Isn't this your lucky day, Kris," a voice said from behind. It had been three days, and Kris found herself walking over to Brian's again. Slowly she turned around to meet face-to-face with Taylor. She jumped, not expecting to see him again. "Who would think we'd meet again?"
"For some reason I feel you waited in that alley to see me walk by," she kidded, looking into his clear eyes. Almost instantly they won her over, taking her soul and pushing her closer to him. "You know you never told me your last name." He smiled, but didn't say anything. "This is the part where you tell me your last name."
"Curious, aren't we? Do you want to get to know me a little better?" he asked, his eyes roaming over her lips. She realized that he wasn't exactly staring at her eyes anymore, so she let her hand gently rest on her lips, appearing to be in a flattered state. She was just trying to cover them so he would stop getting the thoughts of kissing in her mind. Of course her eyes had grazed his lips a few times already, and she wondered what it would feel like to touch them. "That's a beautiful necklace," he said, taking her hand away from her face to be able to see it more clearly. "Did he give it to you?"
"Yes."
"Well so far I know that he doesn't comment on your beauty but he gives you expensive jewelry. What's his name?" She looked over him, curiosity running throughout her body. Why was he even wanting to be linked to Brian, when he wanted to be with her? Brian was just in the way, why would Taylor question?
"Brian."
"I only ask because this Brian is the one person on this earth that I am extremely jealous of." He hadn't let go of her hand yet, and she hadn't even noticed. "I know that if I ever see him kiss you, I'll only imagine myself against your lips. You have beautiful lips, Kris�" His sentence only trailed when he realized he didn't know her last name.
"Carter. Kristina Carter." He looked down at her hand, still in his. Her gaze followed his and she blushed. Her cheeks only grew redder when he gently put his lips to her hand. No one had ever kissed her hand before. For some reason she was happy that it was him. "You know Taylor, I would like to know you a bit better." He smiled broadly at her. It seemed like he was predicting this.
"I know exactly where we can go. If you'd just follow me, then we'll get out of the cold weather. Your hands are freezing." She smiled and took her hand out of his, still feeling his grip upon it. His lips had been soft and smooth, even with the cold, dry weather. He was constantly looking at her lips, which annoyed the hell out of her. She almost kissed him to have him stop it, but decided against it. With her luck he'd just stare more.
They stopped at a coffee shop, and Taylor held out the door for her. She rolled her eyes and walked in, realizing just how cold it was out there. Once the warm air hit her, she shivered. Taylor put a hand at the small of her back and led her to a booth. It reminded her of the way Brian used to hold her when they first started to go out�
"Oh my God!" she suddenly said. He turned to her, wondering what he owed the outburst to. "I was supposed to be going to Brian's." He flinched at the sound of her boyfriend's name. "But I said I'll be here so here I stay."
"I don't want you playing favorites, Kris. If you were supposed to go to him then go to him. He wouldn't mind you being a few minutes late but he would mind if you didn't show up at all." Kris waved it off and sat down. "Kris get up."
"Taylor I told you I was going to be here and I don't want to back out on that." He gave her a confused look, sitting across from her. "What?"
"Well you told Brian you'd be with him. You just said you don't want to go back out on your word and yet you are to him. Either way you're going back on your word." She gave him a warning glance. "I know I shouldn't be saying anything because I want you here just as much as he wants you there�it's just that I've never been in this sort of situation before and I don't want you to play him."
"I'm not playing anyone!" Kris said, her voice slightly raising. She glanced around before letting her gaze return to him. "He knows that my mother has the flu and that there was a chance that I might not show up." Taylor shook his head, still slightly upset but he let it slide. "Do you think that I'm weird because my parents are divorced?"
"No."
"Brian's family thinks so," Kris said, shamefully. "When I went over there at Thanksgiving, right after I met you, well I told his family that my parents are divorced and they all looked at me like I have two heads or something."
"It's not like it was your fault or anything," Taylor said, like he knew what she had been through. "I mean there's tons of broken families out there. From the way things are going, there is probably a higher percentage of marriages that end in divorce than anything else." He looked at her lovingly�a way Brian had never done. "How long have the two of you been dating?"
"Seven months."
"Seven months and they don't know about that?" Kris shook her head. "Have you even met his family before?"
"I met his mother a few times when we first starting going out because neither of us had a license yet and she drove us a few places, but for the rest of his family that was the first time. We've been friends forever but he doesn't seem to think it's that important that I know his family." Taylor looked at her, wide-eyed. "I know it's horrible but that's the way he is. He doesn't want his family in the relationship and whatever. I don't care, really. There's just my mother to meet and he's met her before. My sisters all live in Wisconsin."
"Kris, you're getting screwed." She was taken aback by his statement. "If you've been going out for that long and you're sixteen, I figure you would meet his family. It's a sign that he really cares about you when you meet the family. Let me guess, he didn't even invite you over." She looked away. "I knew it."
The sounding of the bell attached to the door caught her attention. Brian walked in. Kris's eyes grew, as she suddenly turned away from the door. She put her hand in front of her face, trying to block herself. "And may I ask what you're doing?" Taylor asked.
"That's Brian," she said, trying to be inconspicuous as she pointed to the counter. Two men were standing there, which confused Taylor. "The one on the right. I hope he doesn't see me." Brian turned around so Taylor got a good look at him. He took his cup of whatever he ordered and left. When the bell rang again Kris let out her breath. Taylor looked at the door, a hint of jealously on his face.
"How typical."
"And what, may I ask, does that mean?" Kris asked, growing defensive. "Brian is far from typical." Taylor looked at her, and suddenly regretted his statement. He didn't know why he had said it, it had just popped out. That would affect their new relationship.
"He just looks like a person you would go out with. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything." She looked away. "What?" he asked.
"I shouldn't have come here." Kris stood to leave, only to have Taylor pull her back down. "This is qualified as cheating on my boyfriend, Taylor. I don't want to do that to him. No matter if you're as handsome as you are or if you were a troll, I shouldn't be doing this. I love Brian a lot, and you're not helping me." He hadn't let go of her hand yet, from when he pulled her back to her seat. His grip was soft, while his eyes penetrated into hers.
"If you love Brian so much how come you're willing to be here with me? How do you know that you're relationship with him isn't a mistake and I'm the one you're supposed to be with?"
"Taylor! How could you say such a thing? That's pretty damn selfish."
"I'm not being selfish, I'm just praying that you won't walk out on me when I'm falling in love with you." His eyes glistened with shame, and slowly they looked away from her. When he realized he was still holding onto her, instantly his hand was off and back in his lap. He didn't want to lose her, now that he finally got her.
"You're falling in love with me?" she asked, quietly. Her eyes danced, gleefully. Even Brian hadn't gone to that yet, he'd never said he loved her, he'd never said he was in love with her. She always figured she wasn't lovable enough. Her father had left her, Brian didn't show affection with her�
"Yes I am." His eyes lifted to gaze at her face. She was almost at the point of tears, and he wondered why. "What is it?" he asked, watching her wipe away the wetness from her eyes.
"I didn't think it was possible."
"And why would that be, Kris? You're a beautiful girl, you're in every ways lovable and I'm surprised you don't have a fan club following you around." She laughed, slightly, and wondered why he was saying all of this to her. "Why would you think such a thing?"
"Well my father left�he was never there to tell me that he loved me and my mother is too busy to think about anything but work. Brian's the only boyfriend I've ever had and never once has he said that he loves me or that he's in love with me. I never understood why he asked me out in the first place�" A tear fell from her eye. She didn't want to cry, not in front of Taylor.
Taylor moved over to where he was sitting next to her in the booth. He didn't know exactly what to do, but he stuck an arm around her and figured it might help. He lifted her chin so her eyes met with his. The hope that might have been there when she was a little girl had been ripped from her. That man, wherever he was had still been taking his toll on her. "I don't know why, but every time I think about it I cry."
"That's perfectly natural, Kris. I can't bring your father back but I can sit here and comfort you." She smiled lightly and put her arms around him, hugging him the way a child would when their parents come back from a trip away. He had to smile from her tight embrace, appreciating the affection. "I thought you didn't like me."
"You know I still don't know your last name�"
"Hanson."
"Well then I like you Taylor Hanson." He looked into her eyes, her unhopeful eyes, and let his forehead press against hers. "I came here to know more about you, but suddenly I know all I need to," Kris whispered. "Where have you been all my life?"
"Everywhere but where I need to be." A glint of hope returned as he gazed to her soul. Brian was suddenly out of the question�
"I'm guessing your mother was sick again today," Brian said, shortly into a phone conversation. "I had a feeling you weren't going to come."
"Yeah, well I just don't like leaving her alone when she's sick�"
"I know." There was a long silence. Brian never did know how to talk on a phone properly. They'd been friends forever and were able to talk about anything and everything before�before they started to go out. His friends were her friends too, but for some reason they weren't allowed to be a couple when the friends come along.
"Brian, do you resent our relationship?"
"What! No!" he said, obviously appalled by the question. But he did, as much as he said he didn't, he did. If he wasn't, he wouldn't mind being with her in front of his friends. He wouldn't mind anything. Why did he mind?
"Then why do you act like it? If we went anywhere and your friends were there then we're not together. Not once have you even kissed me in front of them�"
"Kris, it's just that I like our relationship private. I care about you a lot, but they don't need to see that." Hmph, she thought. Care. I care about you�I don't love you. She sighed and looked out the window to the snowy night. Her two-story home was on an incline, so she was able to look over most of the other houses. She could see a majority of downtown Chicago, and she loved it. She'd been there all her life. It was her home, she knew the city and she knew the people. She'd visited other places, but none of them compared to the beauty of Chicago.
"Whatever," she muttered, slowly becoming mesmerized by the night sky. The call waiting beep interrupted the peace between them. "There's someone on the other line, I'll talk to you later."
"Alright. Goodnight, Kris."
"Yeah. Night," she muttered and clicked to the other line. Brian was really starting to annoy her. Maybe if he'd shown something other than his egotistical ways. "Hello?" The clouds were blocking all the moonshine, as the flakes fell.
"Hello Kris." Taylor's voice was more than familiar now. She glanced around outside before sitting back in her chair.
"How'd you get my number?" she asked. "I don't mind, I'm just wondering." She could almost hear him smiling. He had that way about him.
"I looked you up in the phone book." Kris paused, waiting for an explanation. There was about a million Carters in the phone book. "I walked you home so I knew your address, so I just matched the address with the name and luckily you're the only one."
"Oh, okay." She glanced away, not sure of what to ask. "And why are you calling me, Taylor?" Kris slyly asked, trying as though she knew what to say.
"To listen to your voice." Kris held in her gasp. Brian never called to just listen to her. He called for a reason, and occasionally she'd call him. She never really did call for a reason. Normally boredom was enough to suffice. She'd even called Brian�to listen to him. Her guilt was clouding her heart. She couldn't imagine why she'd even seen Taylor. Because Kris, she silently told herself. Because you don't know what you want anymore. "You know it might help if you talked."
"I'm sorry, I'm just thinking."
"About what?" Brian had never asked her what she was thinking. Stop it! Stop thinking about Brian!!
"You wouldn't want to know."
"I do. Whatever it's about. From Brian to how many elephants there are in Africa." Kris laughed. Wasn't exactly two things you put together in a sentence. "You have a beautiful laugh."
"Thank you." She paused. "I have this strange feeling that I've heard your voice somewhere before. Before I met you." Taylor laughed, gently. Again with the Angels. He seemed to be so perfect. He'd even been singing when he walked her home; his voice was beautiful. She wished she could carry a tune like that.
"You probably have," Taylor said, a hint of laugher in his voice. His smile was so loud that she could hear it all the way at the other end of the phone. What did he mean by that?
"Huh?" Kris asked. Real intelligent, Kris. "I live a sheltered life, you have to explain." He gently laughed again. It made her smile.
"Have you ever heard of Hanson?" She thought about the name, repeating it in her head. "It's a pretty popular band." Hanson. MMMBop. That annoying song that she was forced to listen to by the radio stations. It clicked.
"You're in that band, aren't you!" she said. He told her yes. "Why didn't you tell me? I'm sitting her making a fool outta myself, trying to think of why you would ask that and you're in the band."
"I'm sorry, I thought you knew!" Taylor tried to explain, still laughing. He was more so laughing at the situation than at her. She was grateful he wasn't laughing at her, it'd just make her feel less of what she was at that time. "Hey, I guess I don't reach everybody."
"I guess not." She let a smile cross her face. He was too nice to be in a band that popular. "But there is one thing I have to ask. Why are you so nice to me? It's weird cause there's like no nice people around here. Then I meet you and you walk me home, you call me for no reason�I don't even know you."
"That's the point of this all. I want to get to know you and I want you to know me. I guess I'm just a nice person. It's the way I've always been. Brian doesn't walk you home after a date?"
"No."
"I'm telling you, Kris, you're getting screwed! He's the first person I've heard about that doesn't walk people home. Some boyfriend he is." Kris smiled. He was giving her warning signs and she barely even noticed. "You're too good for him."
"Are you suggesting I break up with him?"
"Yeah, you can say that. But it's your decision, if you don't want to then that's fine. It's just that it'll kind of break his heart if he finds out you've broken dates with him to see me." She smiled. He had a way about him that she couldn't understand, but it pleased her. Maybe she should break up with Brian, they weren't going anywhere. It was just that something inside that made her want to see him.
"I don't know what I want to do about Brian," Kris admitted. "But I do know I want to see you again."
"I want to see you," Taylor said. "We're only in town for three more days, though. I can't tell you when we'll be back." Kris held in her sigh. He was so perfect, but she figured that she wouldn't be able to see him often. It wouldn't matter much to her. When he wasn't around, she'd have the closed off boyfriend. She wasn't quite sure what to do about Brian. She didn't know if he loved her or not, he was so quiet about everything. Taylor was so open� "I'm in love with you, Kris." She bit her lip. She was coming close to crying again. "Look outside."
"Why?"
"You'll find out." She walked to the window and looked out of it. There she saw Taylor, staring at her. "Hello," he said, waving. She waved back.
"I'll be right down," she whispered, and hung up the phone. Quickly she grabbed a coat and ran outside. Shivering, she ran to him and hugged him. "I think I'm falling in love with you, Taylor."
"You have no idea how good that makes me feel." He looked down at her, at her glistening eyes. The desire to touch her lips, to feel her body, it all overwhelmed him now. He didn't know what to think anymore, he didn't even care about anything else at that moment. His family, his friends, his life, his business, they were long out of his mind once he had called her. Once again he placed his fingertips against her lips, running over them lightly. The whole thing brought shivers to her body. A chill ran down her spine, but the soft touch of his fingertips sent a strange calm, once she realized how wonderful a simple act of touching could be. Her eyes closed in an almost titillating manner. Her legs were nearing the point where they would just give way and she'd fall onto him. She was surprised she'd made it this long without withering away and just dying right there.
Touching her just wasn't enough for Taylor anymore; he wanted�he needed�to taste her. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips against hers. She returned the kiss with the same need to taste him, to let the hope that had been gone from her life for ten years to return. He couldn't replace her father but he could give her the love that she needed. His mouth opened and his tongue slid in hers, to taste the beautiful girl. She'd never been kissed like that, never had so much attention, never had so much passion in her entire life before. There was something about this boy, the way he held her and the way he kissed her�it was so different.
He let go and her eyes fluttered open. She was still at the pre-tear state, her eyes glistening as the fluid blurred her vision. "What's wrong?" he asked, seeing that she was like this.
"No one has ever kissed me like that before," Kris said, and let out a shaky breath. "That was just everything�everything I never knew."
"You're everything I never knew, Kris," Taylor said, cupping the side of her face in his hand. "Come with me."
"Where?"
"My place." She smiled and took the hand that lined her face. They began to walk away. Taylor then noticed how much she was shivering. It was drastically cold, and she wasn't exactly dressed for the weather. "How bout we stop and get you some warmer clothes, first?"
"Thank you!" she said, and they ran back to her home. He followed her inside and to her room, where she grabbed a sweater and another pair of socks. "It's freezing out there!"
"Normally that happens in winter, you know, when you're this far north it normally gets a bit cold." She gave him a look then smiled. "Okay, I'm ready now." He grabbed her hand again, and they walked back into the cold. Conversation was slim to none on the way there. As little as they knew about each other, asking questions were too annoying. Kris's mind drew an instant blank when she had the opportunity to ask him about anything. He was open for conversation, but he had nothing to ask of her.
"Well, how pathetic are we?" Taylor asked. She looked over at him. "We're walking around, two complete strangers, and we're not even bothering to inquire about each other." She smiled, and looked down at their joint hands.
"I find it even more so that we're complete strangers and yet we're holding hands like a couple who's been going out for years." Taylor shrugged.
"Half of life is meeting new people." He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. "I'm so glad you're out there."
"What?" she asked, a bit confused.
"You didn't even notice that I took your wallet in an effort to get to talk to you." She let her mouth drop a bit, shocked. "You actually think your wallet just fell out of a zipped purse?"
"I didn't know how it did, but I didn't even think you would steal it."
"Borrowed. I gave it back to you." She rolled her eyes. "I hope you're not mad at me."
"No, I'm actually quite flattered. At least you're original enough to think of that. If I'd try to come up with something, I'd probably trip you. Where are we going?"
"I already told you, my place." She rolled her eyes.
"I know that, but what street?"
"Grand and Michigan," he said. She stopped. "What?"
"We're walking there?" He nodded. "Taylor! That's seven miles in the other direction! I'm not walking there! We're taking the train." She pulled him off onto the road they were about to pass. The Logan station would take them very close to where he wanted to go, and was only a half a mile away.
On the el-train that Kris wisely directed him to, Taylor looked around. It was pretty much a new experience to him, while she felt right at home. "You're on this often?" Taylor asked her.
"Almost every day," she said. "I usually take it to school, but I also take it to get to Brian's house. He's really not that far away, I just use it if I don't like to walk." The small talk was already killing the mood. Hearing her talk about Brian wasn't exactly where Taylor wanted the conversation to go. He knew that Brian was indeed her boyfriend, and he was only considered to be the "other man," but it killed his conscience. She was cheating on him, quite vividly in fact, and he wasn't stopping her. It wasn't like some cases where he didn't know she was with someone else. He knew and he knew well.
"This is our stop," Kris said, getting up. He gazed up at her. She was smiling, the smile that lit up the entire room. She enjoyed being with him as much as he enjoyed being with her, and didn't even think about how much she would be affecting everyone else around her.
They walked out to Grand Avenue, and the hotel where Taylor was staying appeared in no time. "Your lead from here," Kris said. Taylor squeezed her hand, causing her to smile. He led her into the Chicago Marriot Hotel, and to his room. She knew it was to meet his family, otherwise they'd just stay at her place.
Two of his brothers were in the room, and they looked over. The last thing they expected was to see him with a girl. "Guys," Taylor said. "This is Kris." Taylor silently indicated that they needed to get up and say hi, before he ran over and beat their asses.
"Hi," the younger one said. "I'm Zac." Kris shook his hand, and looked over to the older one.
"I'm Isaac." She shook his hand too. "And what do we owe the pleasure of seeing you here?" he asked. It was nearly eleven at night. Taylor already had been gone all day, and then he came back near eleven with a girl they had no idea about.
"We met a few days ago," Taylor filled in. "We're together now." Zac and Isaac exchanged looks. It was bad enough to have a girlfriend, but to have one in a city they rarely visited? Isaac was a bit concerned, while Zac already had his arm around her. She was smiling.
"Welcome to the family," Zac said. She rolled her eyes. "You now have my complete service, if there is anything I can get you�"
"Yeah, a mallet so I can hit you over the head with it." Zac backed off. "I'm only kidding. You're too cute to knock out." She grabbed his chin. Taylor pinched her, causing her to jump. She turned around. "And you! You're the one I'm going to end up hitting." He smiled and kissed her.
"Okay, okay, not here! Get a room!" Zac said. Kris laughed, not ever having that said to her before. Brian would never kiss her in front of his brothers, he wouldn't even hold her hand in front of other people. I like our relationship private, he'd told her. Taylor was obviously different. She still had a hard time getting it through her head that he was so affectionate and, well, perfect. She was looking for a flaw.
"How'd you meet?" Zac asked. Isaac remained reserved, still thinking about the consequences that would come of this relationship.
"He stole my wallet and then made it seem that I had dropped it so he would get to talk to me," Kris said. Taylor looked away, putting an innocent look on his face. "Unfortunately I'm a sucker for eyes and I love his. I caved."
"Unfortunately," Taylor whispered. She smacked him. "You're very violent for a girl your size." She smiled, then turned back to Zac. Everyone in the room was around a foot taller than her, which for some reason didn't bother her. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Taylor, who was closest, opened the door for his mother to walk in.
"You boys should be in bed by now," she said, then caught a glimpse of Kris. "Hello. Who are you?" She directed the question more to Taylor, who was still holding her hand.
"Mom," Taylor said, and released her hand. "This is Kris." Taylor paused before continuing. "My girlfriend." The woman began to feel the same way Isaac felt. They barely knew each other. It wasn't like Taylor to be in a town for three or four days and come back with a girlfriend. It wasn't like him to be in a town for three or four years and come back with a girlfriend! Diana took a small step back, astonished.
"Well�" she said, a nervous smile on her face. "I'm Diana Hanson, Taylor's mother." She shook hands with Kris, who was nervous herself. Neither of them knew what to expect from this, but Kris was willing to find out. "It's getting late, I think you should be at home right now."
"Yes, I guess I should be."
"Taylor, why don't you take her home?" Diana asked. Taylor nodded. Kris waved to the two brothers and to Diana. As they passed, Diana stopped Taylor. "I will talk to you when you get back." He made a face and quickly left.
"That wasn't exactly the kind of meeting I had expected," Taylor commented, as they walked into the elevator.
"Me neither. So, how long are you going to prolong getting back here?" Kris asked, wrapping her arms around him.
"As long as possible." He kissed her, and the elevator doors closed.