Safe Place / Remastered

66. Traumatic

The man dropped the gun and breathed heavily. I stared at the blood pouring out of my brother and my ex boyfriend. Then, the man grabbed the gun and ran out.

I dropped down on my knees and held my brother in my arms, crying. Now I knew he was dead, there was no mystery. He was going to kill me, but he was still my brother.

Kian ran to me and sat next to me. "I'm so sorry." He said as he rubbed my shoulder.

"W-we have to tell-"

"No Taylor, no. We aren't telling anyone anything, okay?" Kian said. I nodded and set my brother back on the floor.

I kissed his forehead, and said "I love you Austin." And a whole bunch of tears poured out of my eyes.

Then, I turned to untie Jc, and he was gone. Kian grabbed my hand and we went running from the apartment. When we got to my car, Kian grabbed my hand, saying "Can you drive? We can't leave a car here, can you?"

I nodded and he took my face in his hands. "Drive safe T." Then he turned and started walking to his car.

I drove home with Kian right behind me the whole time. We got home and saw Jc's car in the driveway. I stepped out of my car slowly and Kian followed. He held my hand as we walked in.

Jc was sitting on the couch with Zoe, talking to Bobby, Franny, and Corey. They were all beat up. Franny's lip dripped with blood and her eye was purple. Corey had a black eye, blood coming from his nose, and bruises on his arm and collarbone. Bobby had a bloody nose, double black eyes, giant bruises on his arms and a gash on his eyebrow.

I let go of Kians hand and ran over and grabbed Zoe and hugged her and kissed her and then I held her in my arms as I walked back and stood by Kian.

They came over and hugged us. When Bobby hugged me, he said, "I'm so sorry Taylor. I tried to stop him from taking her he just.."

I nodded in the hug. "It's not your fault." I said quietly. Bobby walked back and sat on the couch.

Once they all sat back down, I looked at Jc. "Chelsey brought her here?" I asked. He nodded.

"Why the hell did you leave us there?" Kian asked angrily. I set Zoe in her swing. Jc stayed silent.

"We could have died, Jc. And you just left the first chance you got." He said.

"I, I was scared I didn't know what to do. I just kept thinking 'I need to get out'" he said as he stared forward. Kian ignored Jc and walked into his room. i walked up and took jc's arm and tried to see whether the cuts were deep enough to need stitches, they were. i tried to give jc a hug but he pushed me away. my eyes teared up, but i just said "you should go to the hospital."

When I walked in, I fell onto the bed crying. "Taylor we're okay." He said, but I could tell his voice was shaking, he was crying too.

I stayed laying there on my stomach and he laid by me, slinging his arm over my back. My head was turned to the side he laid on, and when he laid next to me he faced me.

"Listen Taylor, we're okay now. Tony's dead, he can't hurt you."

"It's not that Kian, it's Austin." I mumbled sadly as I cried.

"He was going to hurt you T" Kian said softly as he cried, he hardly got that out.

"I- I know."

He brushed the hair from my face and then kept his hand on my cheek.

"I just, I thought that when I seen him again- if I seen him again- I would hug him and tell him I loved him and tell him all about you and Jc and Zoe and Bob and Fran and all of you guys, and he'd tell me you sounded great and he'd hug me back and then all would be good. But.. we met again with him pointing a gun to my head, telling me he hated me. Cutting Jc's arms, using zoe as a.. a hostage, he wanted to kill me. Then...." I said, bawling.

He softly moved his thumb up and down my cheek. "He loved you Taylor. No matter what he said, he did. He looked at you like he's been waiting to see you for years. He hesitated, he didn't want to shoot you. Tony was controlling him." He said in a soothing tone.

I stared at kian for a minute, "you think so?"

"I know so."

"I- I don't know what it is.." I said.

"What?"

"I didn't mind.. kissing you." I said quietly. I knew that was bad, but let me explain. You don't want to kiss your guy best friend. You want him to get a good girl, but you wouldn't kiss him yourself. So why the hell was it not bad when I kissed Kian..

"What?" Kian asked. He hadn't heard me.

"Nothing." I said quietly, but I sat up and pulled him into a hug. "I'm so happy you're okay Kian."  I said.

"You have no idea." He said as he rubbed my back.

Now, it was Kian who broke down. "I- I thought he was gonna hurt you." He said as he cried.

"I know.." I said back.

"I- I just wanted to tackle him to the ground and stop him because even him just pointing it at you was the most horrible feeling. But I knew if I tried to stop him he'd just-" I rubbed his back as I cried into his shoulder and he cried into mine.

This night, was the scariest and most traumatic night of our entire lives, and we both knew it. And we were terrified that we'd loose each other. Tonight we learned a lesson.

Spend time with the people you love, because you never know when you might loose them.