Chapter 14 - TJ

"Dude, what is going on?" Damon asks me as we sit in the courtroom.

Everyone is on edge as the entire prosecution is missing.

"I have no idea," I whisper back to Damon, not wanting to let him know that I confessed my undying love to Taylor, which resulted in her fleeing.

It hurts knowing that she ran and didn't say it back but what was I expecting? Saying I loved here in a court house bathroom.

She was clearly distraught, but I just had to know why she left me alone after we made love. Taylor claims we didn't make love, but I know better. Love was present in that room with us.

"Well, things are looking up for us," Pat whispers, and the guys nod.

It seems everyone is eagerly awaiting to see if this is going to be deemed a mistrial or not but I am just worried about Taylor.

Something truly upset her before I entered that bathroom and made it worse for her.

My mind is spiraling.

If she fled the courthouse and doesn't come back, what will I do? Will it be my fault?

The doors to the courtroom burst open, and Dylan Turnby enters the room.

It gets eerily quiet as he takes calculated steps towards the judge, Judge Tani Sand.

They exchange words and I am on the edge of my seat.

Where is Taylor?

What is Dylan telling Judge Sand?

"This can't be good," Liam says and the judge glances at us with a glare before shaking her head at Dylan.

Dylan seems to nod at her before he walks out of the courtroom through the same door he entered.

Judge Sand speaks, "This case is dismissed."

"Wh-what is going on?" Someone shouts.

"Where is the prosecution?"

"Order. Order in the court," Judge Sand declares. "The prosecution's lawyer has failed to show up, so this case is dismissed."

The courtroom breaks out into chatter as Judge Sand exits the room.

"That couldn't have gone any better," Lex says as we make our way out of the courtroom.

The second we make it to the steps outside, we are bombarded by cameras and news crews.

"How does it feel to have the case dismissed?"

"What do you think happened to the prosecution's lawyer?"

"What will you do to celebrate?"

We are all taken aback by the response and turn back into the courthouse as Lex slams the door shut.

"Out the back door?" Liam asks.

"Definitely out the back door," Damon responds.

We rush out the back and Dylan is there talking to someone on the phone but he snaps it shut once he sees it.

"Seems like you all must feel pretty good about yourselves," Dylan sneers.

"It's not our fault your lawyer knew she couldn't win this case," Damon snorts.

Dylan glares at Damon before turning toward me, "You know you're to blame for this. Whatever you said to her in that bathroom spooked her pretty good."

I swallow, "Where is she?"

"Somewhere far from here and hopefully, you lot never see her again."

With that, Dylan turns around and gets in the back of a stylish white sedan.

"What was he talking about?" Pat asks me.

I shake my head, "I may or may not have confessed my love for Taylor in the bathroom earlier."

"To get her to back out of the case? Genius," Damon says, raising his hand in a high five.

I shove his shoulder, "Of course not. I just had to tell her and she must have realized that this case wasn't in good taste."

"Well, she wouldn't have been wrong," Lex says. "If this case had gone through it could have ruined her career and credibility if anything came out."

"You told me nothing would," I say, getting in Lex's face.

Did he lie? Were they going to ask me about my relationship with her?

"Of course we wouldn't have exposed you two, but with how vulnerable you seem right now, you could have let anything slip in court, so it's best the case was dismissed. Not just for the company's sake but for Taylor's."

I feel silly for getting upset at Lex, I know I can trust him.

Speaking of trust, I need to talk to Taylor and make sure she is okay, but Dylan said she was somewhere far.

"I'm going to go to the Montgomery household and see if I can catch Taylor there," I tell my friends.

"What is the easiest way to her house?" I ask, wondering how we can get to our car, which is in the lot across the street.

"Fly there," Damon suggests with a shrug a he opens his briefcase and shows me a Skin.

I take the case from him and make my way up to the roof of the court house as I call Taylor repeatedly, hoping to catch her before she disappears from my life.

No one is on the roof, so I quickly strip and put the Skin on and turn into my dragon.

My body hurts for a short time before I leap into the sky and soar into the air towards the Montgomery's household.

As I fly, I think back to our conversation.

I truly hope Taylor believes that I love her and that I would do nothing to ruin her.

Thinking back as my dragon flies, I know I could have controlled myself better. But if I did, this case might still be going on right now.

We need to find her and explain , my dragon says.

You are right.

We have to get to her before things get worse in her mind.

I have no clue what things Dylan put into her head or what terrible things she is thinking about me.