Chapter one hundred and eighty:

After the radio interview and concert, Taylor was very much relieved to have a day off before the next concert.

While his brothers had gone off to spend the time with their respective girlfriends, Taylor returned to the hotel room he was sharing with Jenna.

He unlocked the door and found Jenna sitting alone in the dark room by the glow of the television.

He watched her from behind for several minutes. When she barely moved for quite some time, he assumed she was asleep.

“Jen?” He asked softly.

She turned slowly. “Hey, I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Sorry.” He smiled slightly. “What have you been up to?”

“I’ve just been watching a movie. How was the concert tonight?”

“It was great, actually.” He eased himself onto the sofa next to her. “A few of the lighting cues were off… but I think we played well and the crowd was really into it. How come you weren’t there?”

“I…” She paused briefly, searching for an excuse. “I had a headache, so I took a nap and an aspirin, and just laid low.” She folded her knees up to her chest and hugged them tightly. 

“Yeah? Are you feeling better now?”

She nodded. “Much better, actually.”

“Good.”

An awkward silence passed between them. Several moments passed.
”Well, I think I’ll go and shower, and get off to bed, then.” Taylor said, placing his hands on his thighs. He moved to stand.

“No, Tay. Stay.” She urged, placing her hand gently on his arm.

Taylor looked down at her hand, and slowly moved his gaze back to her face.

“Jen-“ He began.

“No,” She spoke softly. “Don’t… Just…” She leaned forward and kissed him.

The kiss lasted a few seconds, and broke slowly.
Taylor quickly allowed his heart to take over and leaned forward to return her kiss eagerly.

Jen tangled her hands in his hair and pulled her body closer to his, kissing him deeply.

Taylor found himself devoid of any rational thought.  He leaned her backward, still holding her close, and expertly slipped her cardigan over her shoulders, leaving her in a thin tank top.

Her bare arms reached around him and slipped his t-shirt over his head.

His bare skin brushed hers, as their kisses became more urgent and passionate. 

“Jen.” He muttered between kisses.

“Come here,” She urged, getting to her feet and pulling him along with her. She led the way towards her bedroom, but halfway there, his arms circled her waist again, and pulled her closer, kissing her shoulder and throat. She pulled him willingly into her room, and together they fell onto the bed in a fit of kisses.

Taylor’s head suddenly cleared, and he realized what he was doing.

He broke the kiss with a heavy sigh.

“Tay? What is it?” Jen asked, brushing his blonde hair out of his eyes.

“We can’t do this.”

“Of course we can-“ She tried.

“No, Jen. You love Luke, and you belong with him. No matter what my feelings for you are, you deserve to be with the man who will make you the happiest. And that’s Luke.” He swallowed hard. “As much as it kills me to admit it.”

“But Tay-“

“We should keep this between us.” He muttered, pushing himself into a standing position, and sauntering quickly from the room. He slammed the bathroom door and immediately ran the shower.

Jen groaned and dropped back onto the bed in vexation.

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