Forever Almost

Chapter 30

The kitchen was filled with the warm aroma of garlic and herbs as Taylor and Travis cooked together, laughing and stealing kisses whenever they could. It had been too long since they'd been able to enjoy something so simple. With everything that had happened between them—the lies, the manipulations, the separation—being together like this felt like a blessing.

"Do you think the pasta's ready?" Taylor asked, stirring the pot of boiling water.

Travis leaned over her shoulder, his hand brushing her waist. "Looks perfect to me," he said, his voice low and warm in her ear. "Just like you."

She blushed, playfully nudging him away with her elbow. "You're incorrigible."

"And you love it," he teased, pulling her into a kiss. His lips were just starting to explore hers when a sudden knock at the door interrupted them.

Taylor pulled back, frowning. "Are we expecting someone?"

"No," Travis replied, his expression hardening slightly. "I'll check who it is."

He wiped his hands on a dish towel and headed for the front door. Taylor's heart fluttered with unease. They had just started to feel normal again, like everything might actually work out. The last thing they needed was some unexpected visitor to ruin their evening.

Travis opened the door, and Taylor's heart sank when she saw who was standing on the other side—two uniformed police officers.

"Travis Kelce?" one of the officers asked, his tone serious.

Travis's eyes narrowed, but he kept his voice steady. "That's me. What's going on?"

The officer stepped forward, pulling out a pair of handcuffs. "Mr. Kelce, you're under arrest for the sexual assault of Kayla ."

"What?" Taylor's voice was barely more than a whisper, shock freezing her in place.

Travis held up his hands in disbelief. "This has to be some kind of mistake. I didn't—"

The second officer cut him off, pulling out a tablet and showing it to Travis. "We have video evidence that corroborates Ms. Kayla's accusations."

Taylor felt like the floor had dropped out from under her. The screen displayed a video of Travis and Kayla, clearly in an intimate situation. But she knew Travis had been manipulated, had been caught in a trap Kayla had set for him. She wanted to scream, to tell the officers that this was all a lie, but the words stuck in her throat.

"Travis..." she choked out, her eyes filling with tears.

The officer didn't hesitate. He roughly grabbed Travis's arms and snapped the handcuffs around his wrists. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..."

Taylor rushed forward, grabbing onto Travis's arm. "This isn't right! You have to listen—this is all a setup! Kayla's trying to destroy him because he rejected her!"

The officers ignored her, pulling Travis toward the door. He turned his head, locking eyes with Taylor. "I'll be fine," he said, though his voice wavered with uncertainty. "You've got to stay strong, Taylor. Promise me you'll get to the bottom of this."

"I promise," she whispered, her voice cracking as she watched them drag Travis away.

As the door slammed shut behind them, Taylor felt the emptiness swallow her whole. She was alone. Travis was gone, taken away because of Kayla's twisted obsession.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed in her pocket, snapping her out of her daze. She pulled it out, her breath catching when she saw the name on the screen.

*Kayla*

Her hands trembled as she answered the call, rage and desperation battling inside her. "What the hell do you want, Kayla?"

Kayla's laugh was low and mocking. "Oh, Taylor, what's with the attitude? You sound so upset. Did something happen?"

"Don't play games with me!" Taylor snapped, her voice rising. "You did this! You set him up!"

"Of course I did," Kayla replied, her tone infuriatingly calm. "If I can't have Travis, no one can. But it doesn't have to be this way, you know. There's a way to make all of this go away."

Taylor's heart pounded in her chest. "What are you talking about?"

"Meet me," Kayla said, her voice dripping with malice. "Meet me, and I'll tell you how to save your precious Travis."

The call ended abruptly, leaving Taylor standing there in the kitchen, the phone still pressed to her ear. Her mind raced. She knew Kayla was dangerous, but she had no choice. If there was even the slightest chance that Kayla could help Travis, she had to take it.

She quickly grabbed her keys, her hands still trembling. There was no time to waste. Travis was counting on her.

But as she headed out the door, a deep sense of foreboding settled over her. Whatever Kayla had planned, Taylor knew it wouldn't be good. But for Travis's sake, she had to face it head-on.