Page 9 of Inevitable Secrets

“He passed out and I left. I think he thought he dreamed it,” Marty said. “It broke me to see him like that again, Taylor. I hated you,” Marty said leveling her own gaze at Taylor. “I’m so sorry, Taylor, but I had no mom, I knew something was going on with my dad, and now I thought Derrick was going back to the way he had been—a spoiled closed-off dick. I knew you would make him okay and you weren’t around and he was just protecting you.”

“Marty—”

“But he was okay, you know. Monday came and he went to work and kept coming to dinner, but he was empty, he was missing something. And I tried to get him to date and he would just blow me off or avoid me. Then he brings you back and it was like he came alive again. It was like a Derrick I thought was gone came back and he was going to finally really live the life he had wanted for so long. And now...and now…”

“Marty, he is going to be okay,” Taylor said, grabbing onto Marty’s forearms as she watched the tears fall down her cheeks, her own eyes filling up, too.

Marty cried but nodded. “I know that. I really do. But you know how I know, Taylor?” she asked meeting Taylor’s stare. “Because he would never, ever leave you. He just loves you so much.”

The tears fell down Taylor’s cheeks at a steady stream now. “I know, Marty, and I love him, too,” she assured her.

“I know,” Marty said through a strangled sob and then reached in and hugged Taylor.

It felt good to have someone else to cry with, to talk with, Taylor mused. She wondered how she had done it all on her own before.

“I had to get that out,” Marty said into Taylor’s shoulder. “But I love you, Tay. I don’t hate you. I never did. I just wanted my brother back.”

“I get it,” Taylor said, nodding.

“Okay good,” Marty said, giving her a final squeeze. “I’m glad we talked that out. Now let me finish getting this stuff out of your hair and get you in the shower, because lady, you stink.”

* * *

Taylor gotout of the shower and dried with a towel that had overdosed on starch. She was surprised they stocked a fancy place with horrible towels. It reminded her of her time away from the Preston world, away from the life she had now.

She went to the bag Marty had left her, a huge Louis Vuitton duffle, and was quite nervous about what Marty may have thrown in there. Taylor slowly unzipped the bag and peered hesitantly inside, as if something might jump out at her, but heaved a sigh of relief at what stared back at her.

The bag was stuffed with leggings and jeans and comfy-looking shirts, all matched up in individual bags. Below the clothes there were a few shoe options, which Taylor and her feet were glad to see were not stilettos but a variety of flats, and a toiletry bag with her phone inside. Of course the toiletry bag had a boatload of makeup in addition to deodorant, hair ties, and brushes. Taylor grabbed a hair tie, ignored the foundation bottles and mascara wands, and threw her hair up in a pile on her head.

She hastily grabbed a set of clothes and her Tieks flats and got dressed in record time. She struggled a little because her skin wasn’t completely dry. She just wanted to get back to Derrick. So she tugged, yanked, and jumped up and down into her clothes, tucked her phone in her pocket, and got it done.

Taylor hopped out of the bathroom in a multitasking attempt to put on her shoes and smacked right into Henry’s chest.

“Jesus Christ, Henry,” Taylor said as she grabbed the wall to stabilize herself.

“Sorry,” Henry said stoically, gripping Taylor’s arms to help keep her up. “I heard you coming out,” Henry said.

“It’s okay. I’m just a little jumpy,” Taylor said. “Where’s Mick?”

“I sent him home. He needed to rest.”

Taylor nodded. “Oh good, he looked exhausted,” she agreed.

Henry raised his brow to Taylor. “You look like you could use some rest, too,” he remarked, but Taylor ignored him.

“Where did you go?” Taylor asked him.

Henry was quiet for a second. “I was double-checking the security of Preston Corp and the penthouse.”

“Oh good,” Taylor said, “and things are okay?”

“They will be.”

“What does that mean?”

“I want to take you back down to see Derrick,” Henry said leading the way toward the door and effectively distracting Taylor from his remark.

As they approached the elevator the chime sounded and Charlie appeared with Arthur, the Fletcher Enterprises advisor.

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