An hour after Alex and Taylor parted from eachother with exhaustion, Taylor was still sleeping, and Alex was still stroking his hair. He awoke suddenly.
"Alex.....what if my mom comes home...." He groaned, his eyes half-open.
"Your family is staying with your cousin for the night, they got caught in the storm, so they're stuck there."
"Oh....." He dropped his head back onto the pillow. "Alex....." He began, "don't leave...."
"Shhhhhhhhhh....don't worry Taylor. I'll be with you in the morning," Alex told him, even though she knew she wouldn't.
"Okay," Taylor was too tired to say anything more. He drifted back to sleep.
I might not be here in the morning, Alex thought, but I'll always be with you anyway.....
***********************************************************
Alexandra stayed by Taylor's side for a long time while he slept. Finally, she slowly wriggled from underneath his arm that was draped over her. She looked at him and held her breath as he stirred in his sleep. He only let out a small sigh followed by a muffled whimper. She smiled. He must be having a dream.
Alex got out of the bed silently, and proceeded to get dressed. As she tied her shoes, Taylor began to stir. She rushed to the door, and just as she reached it, Taylor sat up.
"Alex...I had the weirdest dream. I was chasing you through a forest, through the trees. Except your hair was much longer, it went to the ground. Then all the trees went away, and there was a cliff. You started to fall off, but I grabbed your hair. Then..." he squinted, trying to remember. "Then your hair got really short, and I had nothing to hold onto. You fell off the cliff, but when I looked over, it wasn't a cliff at all. It was only about a foot deep, and you were just lying there, smiling at me. I was so happy that you hadn't really left me. Then I woke up."
Alex bit her lip. That dream symbolized something that was too close to the truth.
Suddenly Taylor fully noticed that she was dressed, and inching towards the door. "Alex..." He said drowily, "where're you going? Stay with me...you said you would..."
"Taylor I can't."
"Of course you can." He threw back the covers on her side of the bed. "See? There's room...."
"No Taylor. I have to go."
"Why? Please...." Taylor whined. His hair was flung over his eyes. But she could still see the sharp blueness of his eyes seep through.
"Taylor, I....I can't be with you anymore," Alex avoided his penetrating stare.
"Oh are you hungry or something? I'll just get dressed and then we can go downstairs and make a sandwich or something..." He rolled out of bed and struggled to put on his pants. He was still only half awake.
"I'm not hungry Tay. That's not what I meant. I meant...I can't see you anymore...ever." Alex looked at the floor, trying to hide the tears that threatened to spill.
"What?!" Taylor's shocked response only saddened Alex even more.
"I....I want to see you Taylor. I would give anything to see you, to hold you, to be your girlfriend. To be the one you think about, to be the one you love. But I'm not your first love."
"Yes you are...."
"No Taylor. Your music is your love. It's what keeps you going, what you live for. It's your responsibility to make music for others to love, and you can't stop that. We can't see eachother anymore for a reason that I can't tell you.....I'm doing this to protect you Taylor..." Alex's eyes pleaded for him to understand.
"I don't want to. I love you..." Taylor said firmly.
"Please just trust me on this one okay?" She walked over to the bed. She kissed his lips, savoring his taste. When she pulled away, she turned to the door. Taylor sat on the bed, dumbfounded.
"I....I don't understand...." He said, shaking his head. His tossled blonde hair was scattered over his face.
"Try to understand....for me...." Alex said. "We'll be together again Taylor. We will. I promise. Please...just call Amber and ask her out. She really likes you. I know you don't want to, and I know you don't like her. But just do it for me. That's what I want."
Taylor pushed his hair out of his face. He looked up. His eyes were watery. "If that's what you want, Alexandra, then that's exactly what I'll do. You know I'd do anything for you."
Alex dropped a crumpled piece of paper onto the bed. Amber's phone number was scrawled across it. "I know that Taylor. That's why I trust you."
Her hand was on the doorknob. She slowly turned it as Taylor touched the warm imprint her body had left on the other side of the bed.
Alex leaned against the back of the door to his room in the hallway. "I love you Taylor," she whispered, even though she knew that Taylor couldn't hear her.
But he did hear her. Their love was in his heart, and he knew it was there. The words were inside him, and he felt them like he would have heard her say them gently into his ear. He'd hear her say those three words again.
He loved her. He knew that he did. Taylor could feel that burning pain his his chest. He would get her back someday. She was worth waiting for.
All The Way To Albertane
You Are My Hope
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