I Never Saw You Coming

Chapter Nine

Taylor's POV

"Clothes. Off. Now." Harry demanded as he shoved me into the room. He locked the door behind him, but I didn't undress. He slapped me across the face unexpectedly, and he didn't hold anything back. My cheeks stung, and felt as if they might fall off. "Take off your shirt and shorts NOW." He demanded, raising his hand again. I obeyed, throwing my top hat across the room and taking off my ringmaster outfit. "If you so much as call out for your little boyfriend, you'll have another thing coming." Harry threatened, and I backed away from him. He raised his fist, and threw a wild punch, landing right in the stomach. I cried out and fell to the floor.

"What was that for?" I asked, afraid, as I clutched my stomach.

"For thinking you can make fun of me on stage in front of thousands." He said, and threw another punch, this time landing on my ribs. I screamed out again, shuddering and crying now.

"Taylor?" I heard a very distant voice say.

"ED!" I called out helplessly, which got me another merciless fist in the ribs. I shrieked again and again, as the painful blows continued, without stopping.

"You think Ed can save you now? I told you not to call out for him." Harry said, and punched me more. Ed said something else, but I couldn't hear him over my sobbing and wincing and Harry's fuming cries of anger. He continued to punch me, and I winced and cried.

"Taylor?" Ed asked from somewhere, and I couldn't see him. "Taylor..."he said again, and I shot up in bed, crying and shaking, clutching my bruises. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me close as I sobbed. "Taylor, you're okay, it was just a dream, you're safe now, it's okay." He told me, and I clutched onto him. I held my arms around his waist, burying my face in his chest.

"Ed... I'm scared...why'd he do that?" I mumbled between my sobs.

"Because he's an idiot. He knows that he'll never find someone as perfect as you, and instead of being upset with himself, and understanding he messed up, he took it out on you. He shouldn't have done that, he should've been an angel to you, you didn't deserve any of it, Taylor. You are absolutely perfect, you deserve someone who recognizes that, and loves you for it. I'll be here to help you through all of this, and soon enough those bruises will heal. Everything is going to be okay, I promise." He told me, and I smiled. I held him close and cried into his chest. "It's alright, Taylor, you'll be okay." He promised as he rubbed my back. I calmed down a little bit more.

"Please don't ever hurt me...you mean so much to me....I don't want to lose you." I mumbled.

"I swear, I won't ever hurt you, Taylor. You mean so much to me, I promise I won't ever harm you. You're safe with me." He said, and I smiled. I calmed down a lot more, and then laid back down. Ed pulled the covers back up around me, and I grabbed his hand again. He laid down next to me, and I pulled his hand close to me.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"For you Taylor, anything." He promised, and I rolled over and went to sleep.

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I awoke around seven AM, needing a glass of cool water. I got out of bed, and realized Ed wasn't in the room, so I figured he must be in the restroom or something. I walked out of the bedroom, and found he wasn't in either the small kitchen or living room. I ran over to the bathroom and found the door open, he wasn't in there. I flipped on all the lights, and looked again. He wasn't anywhere to be found on the tour bus. I freaked out and picked up my phone. I paced back and forth, and dialed his number. He picked up immediately.

"Is everything okay, Taylor?" He asked, worried.

"Ed where are you?!" I asked, lip quivering, peeking out the windows, still looking for him.

"I went to get you some waffles for breakfast, I figured you wouldn't be awake for a few more hours. I'm sorry, I should be there in about ten minutes tops." He apologized, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay...be back soon...I...I don't want to be alone." I explained.

"I understand, I'm sorry. I'll be back there in a few moments, I'm already back in the car." He said, and I smiled a little bit. I walked outside and paced in front of the tour bus.

"So I guess I'll see you in a little bit?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'll be right there. Bye!"

"Bye!" I said, and hung up. I walked back and forth in front of the tour bus, impatiently waiting for him to come back.

After what seemed like forever, I saw the headlights of a car drive into the parking lot. Ed pulled up close, and I jumped on him as he stepped out of the car.

"Oh my god there you are." I said, burying my head in his chest. I wrapped my arms around his waist, holding him close.

"I'm sorry, we should've just gotten breakfast together. I thought you might like to wake up to breakfast in bed, I'm sorry." He apologized, rubbing my back as I clutched tightly onto him.

"It's okay, I just...I overreacted. I'm really afraid of being alone right now..." I said.

"No, it's okay, you didn't overreact. Here, what do you say we go inside and have some breakfast?" He suggested, and I nodded. I grabbed onto his hand with both of mine, and led us into the tour bus. I sat down at the table and Ed set the waffles in front of us as he took a seat next to me. "Blueberry waffles, your favorite." He said knowingly, and I smiled.

"How'd you know?" I asked, not remembering ever having told him.

"It's amazing the things you learn when you listen to what someone orders every time we go to IHOP." He said, and I smiled.

"Best. Best friend. Ever." I said in between bites.