After we had gotten back to their hotel, we went upstairs. Jen had just told me what had happened to her and Ike, and I was appalled. Jen and Ike were talking quietly on the bed, and I cornered Taylor near the door.
"Taylor," I said, "I have something important to tell you."
"What?" he asked, his face full of concern.
"Well, Jen is talking to Ike about it now, so I'm going to tell you. Maybe you shouldn't go around telling everybody that we're you girlfriends. It's not safe. Obsessed fans have and will try to hurt us or you and your brothers. You've seen them, who knows how far they'll go. Plus, you'll lose so many fans that way, and it will ruin your career. It's not fair to you."
"So are you saying it's over?" he asked with shock in his voice.
"No! Anything but that Taylor! I love you, I'm just saying that maybe we should be a little more quiet about our relationship in front of the media. When you go on talk shows, deny that you have a girlfriend, and we should be careful and not so obvious in public about, you know...us."
"Okay," he said with a smile, "I can live with that," as he slipped his arm around my waist, and kissed me gently. Ike and Jen had come over to us.
"Did you tell him?" I asked. She nodded, and Ike put his arm around her shoulder.
"I think it's a good idea," said Ike.
"Me too," agreed Taylor.
"Well," Jen said, "now that that's settled what do you guys want to do?"
"How about we just take a walk," Ike said, and we all agreed, walking out the door. In the elevator, two girls were in there with us.
"Oh my gosh, you're Hanson! Who are those girls with you?"
"They're our girl--" Taylor began, but I interrupted him.
"We're they're cousins, just visiting."
"Is that true?" they asked.
"Yes, it's true," Ike said, his voice cracking on the last word.
"They're just our cousins," Taylor said, with a sad look on his face. Taylor was probably feeling the same way I was, disappointed and frustrated about not being able to share our feelings for eachother with others.
"Well then," the girls said, "Can we have your autographs?"
"Sure," Ike said, signing two pieces of paper then handing them to Taylor to sign.
"Thank you," the girls said, smiling flirtatiously, then stepping off the elevator. The 4 of us walked quickly to the outside of the hotel.
Suddenly Jen broke down crying, and Ike comforted her saying, "I know it's hard, it's hard for me too, I hate not being able to tell the world about you. I wish in the middle of an interview where they're badgering me about if I have a girlfriend or not, that I could just shout out 'I have a girlfriend and I love her, so quit asking me if I'm single or not!' But the reality is, I can't. Please don't cry, it's all right, I'm here for you."
Jen finally lifted her head from Ike's shoulder, sniffled, but they didn't let go of eachother, and just walked hugged to together.
"Oh, she's so sensitive sometimes, that's why she cries like that," but before I could finish I had begun to cry too.
"I-I-I'm s-sorry, I didn't mean to start cr..." but Taylor had already begun kissing me. He held me close, and closed his eyes. We just stood there embracing eachother, and neither of us noticed a car pull up along the side of the road. We both looked up then, and a head leaned out the car's window.
It was Mrs. Hanson. "Hurry! Get in the car! There's a group of girls right behind you!" But it was too late. Taylor had already been ripped from my arms.
All The Way To Albertane
You Are My Hope
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