Wolfish Affection (UNDERGOING HUGE AMOUNTS OF EDITING)

Wolfish Affection - Chapters 6 - 7

Six - Taylor

I don't know why she held out her hand. I don't know why I took it. But I let her lead me into her warm house, through the kitchen, into a long hallway with wooden floorboards that creaked under our feet. The hallway led off into three other rooms and upstairs. As we passed one of the doors, I heard nothing, unlike the house that I called home, where there was always something happening. We headed upstairs, turned left and headed up another flight of stairs, into her room.

Fran's room was huge. It was a loft conversion, painted a a light-ish blue, with large windows that bathed the room in silver moonlight. The walls were covered in various posters: Green Day, All-American Rejects, Paramore, My Chemical Romance, David Bowie, and lots of other rock bands that I'd never heard of.

We both sat down on Fran's double bed, not saying anything and creating an awkward silence.

"Taylor, why did you come here?" Fran asked, breaking the silence.

"Why do you have so many questions?!" I laughed.

"Um...Beacause I'm interested!" She reasoned.

"Okay...fine, I came here because I wanted to make sure you weren't out there trying to get yourself shot. You seemed pretty shaken up after Nick told you."

Fran sighed and stared at the carpet. "I was. My dad and God knows how many other hunters are out there because some idiot attacked me!"

A wave of guilt instantly washed over me. This was all my fault, not hers. I put my arm around her shoulders. "It's not your fault Fran. It's the idiot that bit you that caused all this. "

She sighed again and looked up from the carpet, straight into my eyes. "Taylor, that's so sweet, but it doesn't make the hurt go away. This pain will always be with me. It. Never. Leaves." She started to cry and I pulled her into a hug. She smelled so good. Like pine trres, sea minerals, thyme and damp earth. It set my soul on fire.

Fran sniffled, her face buried in my T-shirt. "I'm sorry Taylor. You probably ran here, just to see if i'm alright and all I'm doing is getting your shirt soaked. It's pathetic."

I held her out in front of me at arms length. "Frances. You have never been pathetic. Never."

She laughed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Do you have somewhere to stay tonight?"

"Crap. Nick's gonna kill me. I didn't tell him where I was going. Or that I was going anywhere. He has no idea where I am."

"Stay here then. Mom never comes up here and Dad won't be back till late." She suggested.

I don't know why I nodded. But I did anyway.

Seven - Frances

Taylor had been quiet for a long time. I rolled over and started to close my eyes.

"Are you asleep?" He whispered.

I grinned and turned to face him. "Are you?" I hissed.

He chuckled softly from the floor. "How did you know it was me?" He asked. "When I was in your garden, I mean."

"I don't know. I guess I just recognised you." I said quietly. "How did you know I lived here?"

"Jack gave me directions, so I came."

We both fell silent for a few minutes.

"You can sleep up here. If you want to." I said in a low voice. "I trust you." The three magic words.

Taylor didn't reply, just stood up and walked to the edge of my bed. He climbed in, keeping to the edge of the matress.

"Taylor. I'm not going to bite you in my sleep. Like I said, I trust you."

Taylor edged a little bit away from the edge of the matress.

"Just don't hog the duvet." I joked.

Taylor chuckled lowly. That was the last sound I heard before falling asleep.

I blearily opened my eyes at seven when my alarm clock started screaming. I could only see a wall of khaki that I recognised as Taylor's T-shirt. I tried to roll over to turn it off, but a pair of arms blocked my path. Taylor's arms. I had woken up inTaylor's arms! And now I had to get out of them. His eyes opened the moment I left his embrace.

"Five more minutes." He said groggily.

"Not for me." I sighed. "Some of us have to get to school." I pulled my feet out from under the duvet and stood up, stretching my arms. Suddenly, Taylor's arms were around my waist, tickling me.

"Get off!" I squealed "I need to get dressed!"

"Make me!" Taylor laughed, amused by my urgent need to get to school.

Eventually, Taylor gave up and let me get dressed. I threw on my uniform: short-ish skirt, black tights, a white shirt (top button undone), floaty grey cardigan and tie (short, nowhere near my collar), while Taylor lay on my bed with his face buried in my pillows so that I could dress in privacy. I then headed downstairs to make mom's breakfast because she couldn't be bothered to make it herself.

"Do you have to go to school?" Taylor whined.

At that point, I lost it. "What is it with you?! First you come here, you end up sleeping in my bed, I wake up in your arms and then, you ask me if I have to go to school!" I demanded, glaring at him.

Taylor sighed, closed his bright blue eyes and gritted his teeth. "Fine. OK. Make me say it, Fran. I love you. I've loved you for years and there's nothing I can do about it." He got up to leave. "Happy now?"

"Why didn't you just tell me?" I asked, stopping him in his tracks, his back to me.

"I don't know, you might have a boyfriend." He said calmly, walking out the back door.

My eyes watered. "But I don't." I whispered to an empty room.