One Chance: a Ted Sweeran fanfic

Ch 17

Ed's POV

I had woken Taylor up early to get up on the plane. We didn't necessarily have to wake up before dawn to get to the plane, but I knew I wouldn't be able to breathe until we were safe on the plane.

I kissed her lips, waking her up. She fluttered her eyelashes, and her beautiful blue eyes stared back at me, the eyes that had seen so much heartbreak and pain. I had to fix that. I felt bad about deceiving Taylor like this, but Harry was right, I had a wife and child to think about, and once I had found that note, my mind had been determined. We had to get away from London, and not just for a week. We would be staying with the Swift's in Nashville for awhile, I had called Andrea to confirm it. After I had explained to  her the situation, she had graciously offered the guest house for as long as we may need it.

I had called Abigail and told her of what I was planning, and she had agreed to bring Meredith and Graham back to the States with us along with a few other things we would need so that Taylor wouldn't be alarmed. 

"Rise and shine, beautiful, we're going on vacation."

She looked up at me and smiled, "You mean time away with you all to myself, I couldn't imagine anything more delightful," she breathed as her lips once again collided with mine.

I pulled back the covers of the bed and lifted her to her feet, then spun her around till she begged me to put her down on account of not being able to breathe through the laughter.

It was almost as if we were the two young, carefree lovers we once had been before everything had changed for the worst. Almost. Because as Taylor landed back down to the ground, her eyes became more serious.

"Ed, I-I don't feel right, just leaving Harry to fend for himself here." That's the thing about Taylor, no matter what she is going through, she always is thinking about others. She is one of those rare people who has not a single selfish bone in her body, and I was the luckiest man in the world to be able to call her mine.

"Taylor, it's only for a couple days, there is nothing we can do for Harry now, certainly not by worrying about it twenty-four seven. Besides, the doctor said this would be the best thing to do for the baby now." She knew I was right, so she sighed then forced a smile.

"Of course, for the baby," she then pulled me into her and our lips met and I was once again transported to the place of perfect harmony where only I and Taylor existed in the incarnation of our love.

Almost an hour had passed by the time we had arrived to the hanger where our jet was waiting. Relief washed over me as soon as I saw the plane. We boarded the plane, ready for a well-deserved 'vacation'. I leaned over and again kissed my beautiful wife, and I could see the relief welling up in her eyes as well.

"Sir," the stewardess came over, holding a worn envelope, "this was just delivered by someone, he left it before I could see who it was."

I took it from her like a person would grab a poisonous snake and slowly opened it, dreading what was held beneath its papery jaws.

I unfolded a crinkled piece of paper with another terrifying message: 'You can leave, but that means Harry never will'.

Chills reverberated up and down my spine, and I felt suffocated. I knew now that whoever was sending these notes would stop at nothing to keep us here. They also must have known my plans to stay in America for much longer than a week, which I had only told to a few people. The light at the end of the tunnel was fading, and I was sinking into desperation yet again. Who was this person who was always took three leaps after I had taken one step?

But I had to stay strong for Taylor, so as she looked over at me concernedly, I brushed it off.

"Forgot something at the dry cleaners, no problem at all," I could tell she didn't believe me. "Hey, don't worry, this is vacation, remember?"

"Okay," she said as she leaned her head on my shoulder and slowly fell asleep. I looked out the window as London became smaller and smaller below, and I tried to imagine my problems shrinking along with the streets I had once ran to, not away from. I kept that hopeful thought as we traveled to our new future, then let the safe embrace of sleep and slowly fell asleep.