Love & Care

Chapter 14

We reached the house and after putting our shoes and jackets away we went straight to the kitchen where Taylor was standing.
She smiled at us and went to hug first Layla and then Maya.
I took a few steps so she hugged Selena before she hugged me. Then she turned towards me and wanted to hug me. As soon as she came closer I stepped back. She stopped walking towards me and looked at me schocked and sad.
"I'm not gonna hurt you hunny." She said but stayed where she was and did not walk closer towards me.
My cheeks turned red. Logically I knew that neither Selena or Taylor would hurt me but my mind was anxious and I couldn't think straight.
"Do you have to do homework?" Selena asked and all of us nodded.
So we started doing them in the kitchen on the big kitchen table.
Maya had to practice her letters and numbers.
Layla had to do math and something for biology.
While I had to analyze a painting for art class, do three exercises with six equations each in math and read two pages in our physics book before answering the questions she gave us.
Taylor continued cooking and Selena helped Layla and Maya with their homework and while they got were done pretty fast I had a hard time concentrating.
By the time Maya was done I had finished just art and when Layla finished I had managed to read one and a half of the physic pages and actually remember what was written on those pages.
"Do you want help?" Selena asked and sat down next to me. She had brought Maya and Layla to the living room, where they were watching cartoons.
I couldn't really answer as I was focusing on not freaking out about the fact that she was sitting so close to me. I think she noticed something was off because she tried calming me down by putting her hand on my hand. "Sunshine it's alright. You're safe. We're not going to hurt you." But I didn't hear that. All I knew was that someone touched me so I jumped up, the chair fell over while I hurried away from her. Both Taylor and her looked shocked.
Then I managed to snap out of my daze. "Oh god I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make the chair fall over. I'm sorry. I didn't want to disrespect you. Please don't be mad." I started to ramble.
Taylor came closer to me but she held her distance so I wouldn't feel the need to run again.
"Darlin it's alright. We both know you were scared and thats why you jumped. Nobody got hurt so everything is alright." I looked at her with tears in my eyes. Only now that I was standing still after moving so fast feeling the pain in my body. "Not mad?" My voice sounded so shaky and scared. She shook her head. "No we're not mad. We're worried about you." I sighed in relief but still didn't move.
"Can I come over to you?" She asked me. "I won't touch you unless you allow me to do so." She said and I nodded.
She came closer to me but as promised didn't make any move to touch me. Some tiny voice in my head just wanted her to hug me and hold me close. But the rest of my head was reigned by the anxiety I felt.
"Do you want to come over to the table where Selena is sitting and continue your homework?" She asked. I nodded and walked back to my chair, which Selena had picked up again.
"I'm sorry I scared you." She said with a smile. I shook my head. "It's my fault I'm anxious I should have been able calm myself down instead of freaking out." Now she was shaking her head. "No. You don't get to say this. It's not your fault. Stop thinking like that." I sighed and looked at my physic pages.
"I'll help you with math afterwards" Selena said and smiled.
I nodded and finished reading the pages before answering the questions and getting my math stuff out.
Selena helped my with it so I finished pretty fast.
"Thank you." I mumbled looking down at my hands. "You're welcome Sunshine." She gave me another smile.
By being in this nice and safe house for this long I felt myself calming down. As much as my body was still hurting, my mind started to calm down and the small voice that wanted someone to take care of me grew bigger and bigger.
"I'll go over to the living room to watch cartoons with your sisters now." Selena said getting up. I hestiated but stayed seated. Right now all I wanted was Taylor. I remembered the nightmare I had and how she calmed me down and eventhough I was sure that Selena would have been able to do it as well, I wanted Taylor.
"I'll stay and  keep Taylor company." She nodded and left. Taylor smiled at me. It was an warm, comforting smile.
"Tay?" She looked up from her cooking. "Yeah darlin'?" I blushed and looked down. "Uhm can you... Can" I stopped talking. Finding myself ridiculous I was almost eighteen I shouldn't crave the feeling of someone holding me to make me feel safe.
"What do you want me to do?" She walked towards me. My face got even redder. "Uhm a hug?" I was so quite that I almost thought she wouldn't have heard me.
"Of course I can hug you. If you want me to let you go just say." She said before pulling me up and into her arms. I snuggeld closer to her, closing my eyes.
She smelt like perfume, cookies and cats. A combination I loved. I felt her pulling me even closer before starting to play with my hair and drawing circles on my back.
All my anxious thoughts vanished. Just like that I felt safe, like nothing ever happened. I felt myself starting to tear up and before I could stop myself I started to cry into her shirt.
"Oh baby." She held me close and just let me cry into her chest. At some point I stopped and looked up at her.
"Feel better now?" She asked me. I thought about it for a second, before nodding.
"I'm glad. Do you want to talk about it?" She asked my while tugging some of my hair back behind my hair.
"Just a bad day and everything got a little to much." I said before burying my face back into her shirt.
"Alright." She held me until I started to back up a little and she loosened up her grip.
She smiled and wiped the tear streaks on my cheeks.
"Why don't you go to the living room. I'm almost done with preparing dinner. So I'll be there to in a few minutes and then we can cuddle." I nodded and gave her kiss on her cheek, which was quite a task as I was so small compared to her.
In the living room I saw both of my sisters curled up in Selenas arms watching cartoons. They all shared one blanket.
I sat down on the smaller couch and watched with them. After about ten minutes Taylor came in she held a blanket in her hand and sat down next to me.
She opened her arms for me and I scooted over letting her hold me, before she put the blankets around the two of us.
"It's almost six pm. Are you hungry?" Was the first thing I heard when I woke up again. "Yeah." Maya answered while I sat up, looking around sleepy.
"Hey sleepyhead. Good to see you awake again." Taylor smiled at me."Did I sleep on you?" I asked her my voice was raspy. "Yeah you did sweet girl. Did you sleep well?"
I nodded and she smiled.
"As much as I like cuddling you. I have to put the lasagne into the oven." She said and got up, but before walking to the kitchen she put the blanket around me.
I looked over to my sisters and Selena who were still watching a show.
Looking closer I saw that it was 'Wizards of Waverly Place'. I tried to hide a smile but I was pretty sure that Maya and Layla forced the others to watch this.
Selena looked over to me and smiled. I smiled back at her.
The episode ended and Selena turned the TV off. "The food should be ready soon." This sentence made Maya jump up and run to the kitchen.
Layla followed her while got up slowly.
The sleep helped with my sleep deprivation so I wasn't feeling as anxious as before but my legs were still sore so I had to be careful.
I entered the kitchen right when Taylor put the food on the table. "It's lasagne, but without meat. Layla told me you guys don't eat meat." I nodded.
The food was great and as I didn't have lunch I ate quite a lot for my standards.
"So you're finished? I'd have something as a dessert." Taylor said while cleaning up the table. We all nodded. "Do you want help?" I offered but she shook her head.
A few minutes later she came back and gave all us a bowl. It was ice cream. Vanille with chocolate sauce, sprinkles  and a cherry on top.
"Ice cream." Maya was beaming.
We ate the ice cream in more or less silence.
After we had finished the ice cream it was time for us to go home sothe five of us got into the car and they drove us home.

Taylor P.O.V. December 21 at the end
We stopped in front of their house and got out with them. This time we got a hug we from all three of them.
"Thanks for earlier." Alex whispered in my ear. I just smiled.
They crossed the road and entered the house.
Selena and I were about to get into the car when we heard yelling come from the house where the girls lived.
"What the hell?" Selena mumbled. We could hear a man yelling at someone. "You bitch. Why are you so late? I had a customer waiting for you." 
We exchanged some glances but didn't know what to do.
"We'll get them after school tomorrow and try talking to them." I said to her. She nodded and smiled at the smile. "Let's get home."
At home we both went to our room doing our own things. I grabbed my guitar and played a bit before going to bed.
Around the two pm the next day we drove to Alex's school. "Do you think they'll talk to us?" Selena asked. "I hope so and if not we'll figure things out ourselves." I gave her smile before getting out of the car.
We had parked close to the entrance so everyone who came out had to go past us to continue.
Then Alex came out. Her head hang low and she had wrapped her arms around her body.
I walked over to her and tapped her on the shoulder.
She jumped and looked at me. "Hey darlin'" I smiled and she smiled back.
"We figured you guys could like some ice cream." I winked at her and she laughed.
"Sure if it's alright with you." I nodded and together we went back to car to pick up her sisters.
When the five of us were in the car I looked to the back all three girls next to each other.
"Can I ask you something guys?" They nodded. "Yesterday we heard yelling coming from your house. Is everything alright?" I noticed that Layla and Alex exchanged a quick glance.
"Yeah of course. Our dad was mad because he didn't we'd stay away this long." Alex smiled at me. "And for that he had to insult you?" Selena asked with raised eyebrows. "He was very mad. He thought something happened  to us."
I sighed and gave Selena a glance. We both knew that they're was more going.
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