It Comes Naturally

11.

New York

"H!" "Harem! Stop!"

"No, Taylor. He needs to be fucking jailed!"

Stacia jumped from her seat in the eclectic living room, not only by the shouts from Taylor and her friend Harem but the angry and heavy steps down the stairs from the teen and Taylor's crying. Her front door came flying open with three large men in dark suits, alert and ready to defend whoever was in trouble. Harem was about to address the steely-eyed men when Taylor latched onto his arm and spun him around to face her.

"Please, H. I just want to get away from here. Far, far away and forget. Please help me forget," she begged. The blonde was now on her knees, clutching onto her best friend's hands. Stacia wanted to know what they were talking about but opted to be a distant spectator. Her heart jolted when the angry expression on Harem's face softened his own eyes becoming teary as he knelt before Taylor.

"You're my Tay Tay. I'm supposed to protect you and look what happened. Let me do this. You're hurt in a way you should never be, from the way you're keeping your face away from me, I know there's more. Where was your mother when all of this was happening?"

No one missed the way she flinched when he asked of her mother. Nervously she eyed the guards then Stacia, cowering into the steps and hiding her face deeper into her arms. "Taylor?" The confused and bewildered tone he said her name in, told Stacia that he was seeing something no one else was. Without a word, he silently gathered her in his arms, muttered harshly to the bodyguards, and brought her to the living room. Frozen to the spot, she watched on as Harem gently handled Taylor, her face was buried in his neck while he did the same. Stacia felt like a voyeur watching a couple's intimate moment. When he turned slightly to angle his head better she caught a view of the flesh-colored hearing aid behind his ear. Taylor never mentioned Harem's disability, why didn't she? After looking on at the couple, she understood why, Harem was confident, caring, and loyal and may not accept pity because of his inability to hear on his own. 

"Talk to me, Taylor. If-If you're not comfortable talking to me, talk to Stacia. She has been really worried about you. You have more than one loyal friend, you know that right?" Harem said loud enough for her to hear. Slowly, Taylor retreated from her little cocoon and peeked up at her. Stacia gave her a trembling smile before approaching the two warily. It didn't help with Harem's intense gaze on her each step made her self-conscious of her little attire. 

"I'm sorry for dragging you in this Stacia," Taylor began.

"Why are you sorry? You're my best friend, my only friend. You treated me like a person after years of being treated like another statistic," she said sitting beside Harem. Taylor took hold of her hand as she settled in comfortably in his lap. Subtly she took in his somewhat faint scent of cologne she needed the name of so she can keep to memory.  Admonishing herself for being a simpering kid with a crush on a guy out of her league, she forced herself to pay attention to her friend who needed support. 

"After daddy died, I guess I  was in denial thinking mom didn't need anyone, she had me. When I began warming to the idea of a guy being around, I didn't expect her to be so.... infatuated with another cop. I hated it. Here she was risking her heart again with another cop whose life can be snuffed out in any normal situation. I mean anyone can die at the drop of a hat but I was being selfish and very cynical because she's my mother. I didn't want her to go down into that dark hole once more. I tried talking to her but she said she loved him so much and so on that I didn't have the heart to continue with my tough love. I gave in...." Taylor stopped to take a breath while trying to wipe away the tears that were now like rivulets down her face.  

"I should have known he was bad news. SHE should have known. The feelings and doubts were there for me, I know it was for her but why? Why didn't she do anything?" she cried aloud.