CHAPTER 2

Taylor pulled to a stop in front of Lynn’s house, she chewed on her pointer finger as she looked at the brick house, and she hadn’t been there for a few weeks when she came to town for her mom’s birthday. It’s the 29th of January and Trace called her up telling her she had to come out to California for Justin’s 26th birthday. She stepped out of the car pulling her jacket tighter around her body; there was a slight chill in the air, something she didn’t like about being in Tennessee. Taylor knocked a few times before Lynn pulled it open, and welcoming her with a hug.

“Honey, I thought I was coming to your place!” Lynn smiled releasing Taylor from her hug and opening the door wider

Taylor squeezed her hands together and took a seat on the couch; she looked out the window taking notice to a few paparazzi across the street. She wasn’t sure why or how but they had been following her around since yesterday one of the days she wanted to forget forever. She gave a half smile to Lynn who was giving her a concerned look and took a seat next to Taylor.

“Uh...ye...yeah you were but I, uh… I have to talk to my mom about something.” Taylor answered sucking in her bottom lip and chewing at it. She looked away from Lynn and grabbed a piece of hair twisting it between two fingers.

“Sweetie, are you alright?” Lynn asked taking Taylor’s hand and holding it tightly.

“No… I have the stalkarazzi following me around for some reason…”

Lynn cut her off, “They’ve always been around Taylor maybe they saw you with the boys in Vegas and are trying to get pictures for a stupid head line.” Lynn tried to reason giving Taylor’s hand a squeeze, “Is that all that is bothering you pumpkin?”

Taylor pulled her hand away from Lynn’s and held them to her face as soft sobs escaped from her mouth. She hadn’t been to her mothers’ house yet, she wasn’t sure how to bring the topic up or how her mother was going to react. How do you tell your mother that your 25, single, pregnant with your best friends child. Truth be known Taylor remembers who she had slept with she just didn’t want them to know. She woke up in his bed at 5 in the morning how could she not know who she slept with. She came to Lynn’s house first she was like a second mother to her and knew she could confide in her.

“I’m pregnant.” Taylor whispered so quietly that it took Lynn a few seconds to process the information she just heard.

“Oh Pumpkin having a baby isn’t that bad.” Lynn let out a nervous laugh taking Taylor into a hug, “is Adam the father?” Lynn asked talking about a guy Taylor had been seeing on and off again for a few months.

Taylor cried into Lynn’s shoulder for a few seconds before pulling out of the hug and looking her in the eyes. “No! Some guy on New Years!” She lied standing up and pacing the front room, “I don’t know what I’m going to do! I can’t tell my mother I’m pregnant she’ll freak out on me! I’m not married, I don’t have the money to have a baby let alone get rid of an unwanted pregnancy.” Taylor rambled on as she continued to pace the room.

Lynn bit her bottom lip and stood up grabbing Taylor by the shoulders. “Honey we’ll think of something okay? You don’t have to tell your mother right now alright?” Lynn asked and Taylor nodded out a yes, “I’ll talk to Justin…”

“Why would you bring him into this? Please don’t ….”

“You two left for the hotel together I’d only assume he saw who you went to your room with.” Lynn answered taken back by Taylor’s reaction.

Taylor’s eyes got wide and she covered her mouth with a shaking hand. She turned away from Lynn and walked towards the kitchen stopping short, she turned back towards Lynn. “I don’t want to bring him into this…” She stated softly turning back around and going into the kitchen.

“Tay…” Lynn stopped when she came back into the front room holding some paper towels to clean her face up with, “Okay, I won’t tell him?” Lynn let out a little nervous laugh.

Taylor ran a hand through her brown hair pushing it behind her ear she bit her bottom lip. “Thanks.” She sighed looking at the floor.

‘Smack, smack, smack,’ was the sound the basketball made that Justin was bouncing around his basketball court with. Trace went to the airport to pick his mother and Taylor up, tomorrow was his birthday and to be honest he didn’t want to do anything big for it. All he really wanted was for a few of his friends to come over to his place and to hang out, but Trace had different plans and now he was having some big lavish birthday party. He was a little nervous about his mom and Taylor coming today. For or some reason he has been getting hounded by the same few paparazzi about Taylor and how she was and where she was, he just ignored them. He was also nervous about them coming because his mom sounded weird on the phone with him about her. Justin wasn’t sure what it was but he didn’t like the feeling that something was wrong and it was his fault.

“Get something to eat and I’ll go grab Justin!” Traces voice snapped Justin out of his trance.

Trace walked out the back door to the small basketball court Justin had and stood with his arms across his chest watching Justin bounce the ball and shoot for a three pointer. Justin turned and threw the ball to Trace only to have it bounce out of his hands.

“You guys just get back?” Justin asked grabbing the ball as it rolled towards his feet and walking towards Trace.

“A few minutes ago, we had some trouble with the paparazzi…” Trace trailed off looking Just over. He looked nervous and he was tossing the basketball from one hand to the next. “Are you alright J?” Trace asked as the two of them headed for the house.

“I just have this weird felling that’s all” Justin shrugged as he walked into the kitchen where his Mom and Taylor were making sandwiches.

Taylor was wearing a green short sleeved tank top and blue jeans with flip-flops her hair was pulled into a pony tail and she was wearing light make-up. Justin stood against the wall watching the too as they talked about random things from back home. It had been a long time since Justin had seen his mom this happy with a girl in his house. Granted she has known Taylor longer then he can remember it was still a little weird, his last girlfriend Meredith didn’t like his mom.

Trace pushed past Justin and grabbed a sandwich from the counter. “Don’t eat too many sandwiches Tay you don’t want to get fat.” He smiled poking at Taylor’s stomach, Taylor swatted his hand away.

“Stop Tray” She laughed pushing him away from her, they always fought like they were brother and sister.

Taylor gave Justin a half smile before she walked up to him and gave him a hug. “David and Chris say ‘Happy Birthday J-Dawg you are only 26 once so live it up and have safe sex’ Chris said that last part” Taylor laughed as Justin rolled his eyes.

“Like he is one to talk how many kids does he have now?” Justin laughed walking to the kitchen counter and grabbing a sandwich for him self.

They all went into the front room and talked about old times and laughed at stuff on TV for a few hours. Justin stood up off the couch and stretched his relaxed muscles out. His mom had left to go birthday gift shopping with Trace, so it was just him and Taylor watching TV now. He gave Taylor a once over she had been acting weird for a while.

“Is everything alright Tay?” He asked sitting back down on the big oversized couch.

“Yeah I guess…” She mumbled out sitting up a little and looking over at him, he was wearing a pair of basketball shorts and a wife-beater. “I have a question for you” She added causing him to look at her.

“Hmm?”

“What would you do if you found out you got a girl pregnant/” She asked pulling a throw pillow to her chest and resting her chin on it.

Justin chewed on his bottom lip for a few seconds and threw his feet up on the coffee table. “Uh…” He started

“Would you tell her to get an abortion or support her through it?” Taylor asked chewing on the side of her finger.

“I guess it depends on the situation. If it were someone I cared and loved I’d want them to keep it, but if it were just some random one night stand I’d take her to the abortion clinic and pay for it.” He answered looking at her like she was crazy.

“Okay…” She trailed off as she stood up from the couch. “I’m getting tired I think I’m going to go take a nap.” She added stretching her arms above her head.

Justin’s eyes fell to her toned stomach and traveled the rest of the way up and then back down again. He knew how gorgeous she was and always has been. He knew the only reason he was checking her out was because he hadn’t been with a girl since New Years and that wasn’t something he was used to having to deal with.