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jennaferz

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“I need you to come be there for me,” she whispered. “Please?”

Taylor kissed her temple, and her eyes fluttered shut at the feel of his breath on her face. “Of course, Deni,” he said softly. “I’ll be there every step of the way.”

“Thank you.” She pulled away and stood up. “I don’t know if I can do this…but I have to try. My dad is right. We have to get this man convicted.”

“He will be,” Taylor assured her. “He admitted to the murder, I don’t know why they’re even bothering to have a trial.”

“It’s standard procedure,” Deni told him, repeating what her father had told her when she asked. “But I don’t understand it, either.”

He reached out for her hand, and she looked down at him curiously as he pressed his lips to her palm. “I’m so glad that you’re not afraid anymore.”

“I don’t think this is the right time to talk about it,” she answered, but she couldn’t stop a smile.

“And this is going to sound really low, but I’m glad you went to fat camp, because I never would have bothered talking to you otherwise,” he continued, a sweet smile spreading across his face.

She laughed and hit him playfully. “I wish I hadn’t gone to fat camp.” He twisted his face into a mock pout, and she laughed again. “You know I’m only joking, Taylor. I wouldn’t have missed this--us--for the world.”

“I know,” he murmured, kissing her hand again and placing his other hand on the small of her back, gradually drawing her closer to him. She gave a small yelp, losing her balance as he pulled her down onto his lap.

“This is why you’re glad I went to fat camp,” she said with a chuckle. “If we tried this before, I would have crushed you. There would be nothing left of you now but a little pancake on the floor.”

He burst out laughing. “I think I would make a pretty cute pancake, don’t you?”

“Unbelievably cute,” she agreed, trying to still a smile.

“What would you do with me if I was a pancake?”

She wrinkled her nose at him and swatted him lightly. “What kind of a question is that?”

He shrugged. “I’m just curious.”

She thought for a moment, then smiled. “I’d put you in a display case on my wall.”

He laughed. “And kiss me goodnight every night?”

“Oh, maybe once a week,” she replied, smiling as he faked a pout once more. “But I would smile at you every night.”

“You’re beautiful,” he murmured, and she stared at him.

“I’m not beautiful,” she countered, letting out a surprised laugh.

“You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,” he told her. After a slight pause, he added, “You know, you’re not really my usual type.”

She snorted. “Yeah, I heard about your ‘usual type’ from Halley.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You’re judging me again.”

“Am not. It’s a widely known fact that you’re a party-going sex machine, Taylor.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m glad you think so highly of me.” She opened her mouth to retort, but he smiled and pulled her closer. “I’m only kidding.”He hesitated again. “You know, Deni, you still haven’t told me…”

“Told you what?” she asked, snuggling against his chest, closing her eyes as she breathed in his scent: a mixture of his cologne and his shampoo. “You smell so good, Taylor.”

He laughed and put his finger under her chin, tipping her head up so that she was looking straight into his eyes. “You still haven’t told me that you love me.”

She stiffened.

“You said you weren’t afraid anymore,” he reminded her. “If you don’t love me, I need to know.”

She stared at him. “Taylor, I don’t just go around kissing random guys.”

“That’s good to hear,” he answered, a feeble attempt at a joke, but there was no smile in his eyes; only worry, fear, and hope.

She glanced away. “Can’t we talk about this later? I’m kind of stressed out right now.”

“Why are you avoiding it?” he whispered. “You don’t love me, do you?”

Of course she loved him. And she wasn’t afraid anymore. She didn’t quite know why she couldn’t bring herself to say the words…

“Yes, I do,” she burst quickly, before her mind betrayed her again, “I love you, Taylor.”

A smile lit up his face as he ran his fingers gently through her hair. Her eyes were drifting shut, their lips nearly touching, when--

“Deni!”

They both jumped, jerking apart. Deni stared at the ground in embarrassment. “Yes, Dad?”

“You need to get ready.”

“I’m getting ready.”

Her father jiggled the locked doorknob in aggravation. “Open the door, Denise.”

“Why?”

“Open it now.”

She grimaced. Taylor wasn’t supposed to be there; if her dad found out he was, he would freak. “Just one second.” She turned to Taylor. Hide! she mouthed at him frantically.

Where? he mouthed back, staring around him at the cluttered room, completely empty of any suitable hiding place.

She crossed the room in two long strides, yanked open the closet door, and nudged him inside. Closing the door after him, she hurried back over to where her father stood waiting, getting more pissed off every second.

“What, Dad?”

“What were you doing in here?” He stared around the seemingly empty room, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. “I heard you talking to someone.”

“I wasn’t talking to anybody,” she told him, raising her eyebrows as though this were a stupid idea. “I was just getting ready. I wasn’t dressed, Dad.”

He stared straight into her eyes, searching for hints of a lie. Finally he nodded and glanced away. “We have to leave in a few minutes. Don’t want to be late.”

“Okay. I’m almost ready.” She closed the door behind him and pressed her ear to it. When she heard his footsteps going down the stairs, she locked it and went to let Taylor out. He was laughing.

“That wasn’t funny!” she hissed at him as he crawled out of her closet. “I could have gotten seriously busted.”

“Den, you’re hanging with me now,” he told her, still smirking. “You have to have more of a sense of adventure.”

“That wasn’t adventure,” she answered with a roll of her eyes. “That was, if Deni’s father finds Taylor Deni won’t be able to sit for a month.”

He smiled. “Don’t you think you should get dressed? Your dad was too preoccupied to notice, but you’re not exactly ready.”

“Yeah, but I can’t really do that with you standing here,” she pointed out. “Get back in the closet.”

He snorted. “I’ve already seen you dressing once, remember?”

“Oh, you’re not embarrassed about that anymore?”

He shrugged. “Why should I be?”

“Because if you don’t get in that closet I’m going to beat your ass,” she said.

He laughed. “Because that makes a lot of sense.” She raised her hand threateningly, and he held up his hands in mock surrender. “All right, all right, I’m in.”

So you might have noticedd that I haven't posted my new story yet. Don't worry, it'll get uppp. =]] But instead of that, care to read my two newest poems, I Miss You and His World? I'd lovee itt. =]] Thankss guys! Btww. I'm upping it to 20 ratess. Hate me if you want, God knows enough people do alreadyyy.

Haha.

ily ~ jennn