Searching for Home
by Chelle & Nikki

~ CHAPTER 5 ~

Monday morning, Brianna stepped off of the elevator onto the third floor. She slowly walked to her office, blinking her eyes to try and stay awake. She'd been up late the night before fighting with herself about Taylor. She hoped to be able to see him, but at the same time hoped that she wouldn't. A piece of her hair fell in front of her face when she looked down to unlock her door. Not bothering to move it, she opened the door and walked in closing it behind her. As she approached her desk she sighed heavily and pushed the stray hair behind her ear. She'd wore it down and was beginning to regret it. She sighed again and rolled her eyes when she heard a knock on her door. "It's open!" Brianna called out, sitting down and turning her computer on. "Can I come in?" he asked. "Sure Taylor, what's up?" Brianna replied. "Well, actually nothing." Taylor answered, closing the door and putting his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Brianna smiled and gave a 'Then-what-did-you-want' expression. When Taylor didn't answer, Brianna asked "So how did your visit with your daughter go?" Taylor glanced at her. "Oh, fine, just fine." Brianna smiled. A few moments of silence passed before either of them spoke again. "Wanna have lunch today?" Taylor asked. Her heart raced but she just answered "Well, I'm not sure. I'll let you know later." Taylor nodded and said "Alright. So I'll see ya around... how's one-thirty?" Brianna answered with "Sure." Taylor quickly walked out of her office. Brianna sat for a few minutes pondering the whole conversation. He seemed distracted... like he wanted to say something else. With a light shake of her head and a quiet chuckle, Brianna began to arrange new files on her computer. The day was really uneventful and slow. There wasn't a lot going on so by one-thirty that afternoon, Brianna and Taylor were in his car on their way to a new diner.
"Taylor, are you alright?" Brianna asked. Taylor licked his lips and said "Yeah, I'm fine." Not much more was said. Brianna knew that something was on his mind but he obviously wasn't wanting to talk about it right then. They got to the diner and walked inside. It was a nice place and the smell of the food filled the dining area. "This is nice." Taylor said pulling out the chair for Brianna. "Uh-uh. Thank you." Brianna replied. After they had ordered their lunch from a young waitress, Taylor sighed and said "Brianna, I need to tell you something and I'm not really sure how to say it." Brianna felt a slight tightness in her chest as she replied, "Well, just say it. Right to the point." Taylor thought for a moment and then said "You have been great as far as work goes. You've really helped us out a lot and we're thankful that you're working with us. I, uh, I don't know how to say this." Taylor laughed a little and Brianna slightly smiled. "What Taylor? For crying out loud what is it?" Taylor looked at her and said "I like you, a lot. And I want us to be friends. I mean, your nice and I like spending time with you. But I know that if we do become close friends, you are going to have to open up to me. Now, I, I don't want to rush you or pressure you into anything. I just want to help you. You have a lot of secrets Brianna and I know from experience that keeping secrets can be a burden. I just want to know you better. You don't have to hide anything from me. Please, Brianna I just want you to trust me. That's all." When Taylor had finished he felt as though a weight had been lifted off of his mind. Brianna sat back in her seat and tried to think of a response. The sound of their plates being placed on the table made her look up quickly. "Here you go." the waitress said. "Thanks." Taylor smiled and then turned to Brianna. "Look, just think about it. No pressure. Let's eat ok. We have to be back in a little while." Brianna nodded and smiled and the two ate their lunch. They talked but it was mostly about work. Just casual conversation that made Brianna gain back her feeling of comfort with Taylor. She had momentarily lost it when he'd started talking about her opening up to him. It's not like she had some deep, dark secrets. He apparently thought she did though and she couldn't blame him for that. She had avoided all conversations about her personal life, her family and where she was from. She had managed to always redirect his attention to himself without ever answering his questions about her. She could only imagine what he thought of her. Taylor didn't have any bad thoughts really, but his imagination was starting to wander a little. He just knew there was something about this girl. Something that made him feel curious and worried. He knew that what he'd told her was his limit for a little while though. He could tell from her reaction that something had hit a sore spot. He wished he could tell her everything he felt. She had been on his mind constantly and was the first girl in so long that he could barely breathe around. Oh, yes, he'd find out about her. He'd unlock her secrets, whatever they were, before long. For the time being though, he'd said enough.
After they finished lunch and went back to the studio, Taylor walked her into her office and said "Well, have a good afternoon. I'll probably be recording for the rest of the day." Brianna sat her purse down and said "Alright, thank you for lunch." Taylor smiled and said "You're welcome." He walked out and shut the door quickly. He had to be away from her for a little while. His stomach was in knots and he just wanted five minutes without thinking about her or trying to figure out what it was she thought she had to hide from everyone. It had driven him crazy long enough in his opinion and now that he'd said what he had, the ball was in her court. Brianna tried to work but her mind kept drifting. She couldn't stop going over what Taylor had said. Somehow, she made it through the rest of the day and left without seeing Taylor again. She drove back to the motel and went into her room. She was tired and confused and felt a little guilty because she had all but shut Taylor out completely. She took a quick shower and put on her pajamas. She climbed into bed but couldn't sleep. The next few hours were spent tossing and turning and alternating between that and trying to watch TV... not that she could have concentrated if there had been anything on worth watching. She wanted to talk to Taylor. She wanted him to know about her.
The next morning, Brianna drove to work without breakfast or even a cup of coffee... she knew she was pushing it. She walked straight to her office and started making phone calls. She didn't see Taylor at all. She had made copies, sent faxes, made and returned phone calls about upcoming gigs for the company's newest artists and meeting appointments. She walked from office to office throughout her day and turned down an offer to have lunch with Jessica and Isaac. She didn't eat, she honestly didn't think she could. At around seven that night, Jessica stopped into her office and told her that was it for the day. With no more than a nod, Brianna gathered up her things and walked out, taking the elevator to the first floor. In a way, she was avoiding Taylor but she also wanted to talk to him. She was going to tell him everything about why she was so guarded. Brianna figured that he had to be thinking the worst and she didn't need that. Taylor had been so nice and had tried to get to know her. He seemed to be trying different approaches. First, informing her that she couldn't hide forever and that he'd find out what her secret was, then gently explaining that he just wanted to be friends and help her. She didn't need help. She had moved to get away from the past and here he was trying to drag it out of her. Brianna wondered what was going to happen. How would he react when she told him about her life and her reason to move? His family was so close to each other that he'd never possibly understand what it was like for her growing up. But, she was going to tell him. He wanted to know, and he was about to find out.

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