Chapter 44
TAYLOR
Coach Harrison
Where the FUCK are you?
We have a GAME this weekend and your little writing stunt is OVER!
Nick (Agent)
Taylor, you’ve got people panicking… Where are you? Are you going to be at practice later today? Tomorrow?
1345 Cornelia Street
No matter how many times I circled the block and double-checked my GPS, the rustic brownstone with white lilies remained the same.
This was where Audrey’s letters and packages had all been forwarded, and I had yet to see her emerge from the front door.
Pulling my car to the curb, I stared ahead and exhaled.
I can’t wait anymore.
I stepped out and headed up the steps. Then I rang the doorbell.
Soft chimes sounded, but after several seconds there was no answer.
I knocked as hard as I could.
Nothing.
Holding back a groan, I raised my fist to try again, but the door swung open.
A familiar woman in a pink robe and hair rollers stood before me. Her fingers gripped a glass of wine, and she looked like she’d just gotten out of bed.
“Hi,” I said, struggling to remember her name. “I’m looking for Audrey.”
“Taylor Wolff?” She squinted. “Is that you?”
“Yes. I really need to speak to Audrey.”
“Well, then.” She looked me up and down, taking a long sip from her glass.
“All these years have been very good to you. I can see why all the girls used to go crazy for you. Audrey should’ve fallen in line with them, huh?”
“What?”
“It’s not every day I see a younger man who makes me aroused.”
“Ma’am…” I kept my voice firm. “I’m looking for Audrey.”
“She’s not here.”
“Okay, thank you. Do you know when she’ll be back?”
“Maybe she’ll visit me for the holidays.” She shrugged. “Anyway, it’s very nice seeing you, Mr. Wolff. You can add care of Aunt Lydia to your next packages if you think they’ll arrive faster.”
“All my letters have come here,” I said. “Has she read them?”
“I don’t know.” She sighed. “I just forward them to her, Taylor. I don’t know if she’s actually opened them or not.”
“Well, where are you forwarding them to?”
“I…” She bit her lip and shook her head. “I’m sure she’ll reach out to you when she wants to hear from you, okay?”
“No, it’s not okay.”
“I don’t know what else to tell you, then.” She downed the rest of her wine and stepped back. “No pun intended, but take care, Taylor…”
She shut the door, and I stood there staring at it for what felt like forever—fighting the urge to knock again and demand more answers.
Returning to my car, I circled the block until noon, hoping to catch a glimpse of Audrey, but there was nothing.
When my gas light flashed, I finally returned to my hotel.
I’ll figure this out a different way…
The following morning, I picked up a bouquet of yellow lilies and drove back to Audrey’s aunt’s place.
As I parked across the street, a woman walked up the steps and knocked first.
Confused, I watched Aunt Lydia hand over a stack of envelopes—and when the woman turned around, recognition hit.
Cecelia.
I watched her approach a white car before jumping out.
“Wait a minute, Cecelia.”
She looked over her shoulder and gasped, fumbling for her keys.
“I said wait.” I shut the door before she could slip inside. “We need to talk.”
“About what, Taylor?” She narrowed her eyes. “We haven’t spoken in years, and last I checked, you hate my cousin.”
“At this point, I think we both know that’s a lie.”
“I don’t know anything.”
“I’m sure you’d like to believe that,” I said. “Where is she?”
“Don’t make me scream, Taylor.” She glared at me. “I don’t know why you’re here or what you’re possibly after, but—”
She gasped as I took the mail from her hands.
“Give me that back!” She reached for it. “Give it back right now!”
I held the envelopes above her head, flipping through them to confirm my suspicion.
Audrey, Audrey, Audrey…
They were all from our program and a nursing school she had no business attending. Except for the two at the bottom—those were from me.
“Okay.” I clenched my jaw. “Do you personally deliver these to her, or are you on your way to the post office to send them to her real address?”
“None of your business.” She snatched the stack back. “Now, please go away and leave Audrey alone. She doesn’t want to talk to you. She has every reason not to, and you should respect that.”
“If you don’t tell me where she is, I’ll just follow you.”
“You mean you’ll stalk me?”
“Call it whatever you want.”
“Why don’t I just go ahead and call the police?”
“You won’t.”
“How do you know for sure?”
“Go ahead and do it now, then.” I stepped back, crossing my arms. “I’ll wait.”
She stared at me, silent for several seconds. Finally, she let out a breath, shaking her head.
“You really hurt her, Taylor,” she said quietly. “You fucked up.”
“I’m well aware.”
“Are you?” She snapped. “Do you have any fucking idea how many nights she’s lost sleep over what you did?”
“Cecelia…”
“You couldn’t help yourself, huh?” Her face reddened. “You just had to show her you still had the upper hand, right? You’ll always be a fucking bully in her eyes, and I hope you know that.”
“I…” I shook my head. “Can you tell me where she is so I can make it right, please?”
“No.” She shook her head again. “She made me promise not to say anything to anyone.”
“I don’t want her to hurt anymore, Cecelia.”
“Then walk away and let her get over you like a normal ex-boyfriend,” she said. “She doesn’t love you anymore.”
“She told you she loved me?”
“No.” Her cheeks reddened. “Now go away. I really did promise her I wouldn’t tell you where she was if we ever crossed paths.”
“Then don’t say a word.” I pulled a pen from my pocket. “Write it out for me…”