Sorry it took soooo long to update this. I won't make you all wait so long next time, I promise. Thanks to my readers and reviewers of this story!

Chapter 2

Taylor had tried calling Ridge several times on her cell phone as she piloted the car through the heavy evening Los Angeles traffic. As with before, her call went unanswered. He had likely turned his own phone off knowing that she would call. But she had to let him know about his mother. If Stephanie died and he wasn't there, he would never get over it.

Taylor bypassed Forrester Creations and every other truly familiar place, thinking that Ridge had likely gone somewhere to drown his sorrows. Or he had run to Brooke. Maybe both. The thought made her feel ill all over again and she rolled down the window to get some fresh air in the car, hoping it would keep her from heaving up bile once again. She didn't know why she felt so ill but she was afraid to ponder it. Besides, she really had to focus on finding her husband. Though she doubted she would be able to call him her husband for very much longer.

She had never had a problem finding Ridge before but a stop at Cafe Ruse proved he wasn't there. She worried what this meant. They had grown apart and it was a very scary thing for her. Even though she was someone who, while not fearless, was used to remaining calm and collected under pressure as possible ... Well, this rattled her deeply.

She decided a stop at their favorite restaurant Mannequins was in order next. She drove the two-point-five miles from Cafe Ruse to Mannequins and then pulled her Lexus into a parking spot near the back of the lot. She took a brief moment to try to compose herself before climbing out. Every movement she made towards the front door of the restaurant-slash-bar was filled with dread and lethargy. She felt so incredibly bad. On top of that, she was worried what condition she would find Ridge in. If she would even find him alone...

The hope that he wasn't with Brooke was dashed immediately as he spotted the other woman sitting at the bar with Ridge who was practically sagging against the slick counter top. She sighed and moved towards them, expecting things to get ugly. For Brooke was not actually just sitting with Ridge, she was leaning against him and running her tapered fingers through his thick black hair. He seemed receptive to it, worst of all.

Brooke turned just then and spotted Taylor coming their way. She smirked at Taylor, actually smirked, triumphantly and in that moment, Taylor knew Brooke had won in some way; that she had gotten Ridge exactly where she wanted him most.

Vulnerable.

XoXoXo

"Ridge," a familiar, soft and plaintive voice reached him through the thick haze of anger and alcohol wrapped around his skull. For a moment, he didn't really react. He just turned to look at his wife watching him with a taut expression etched on her classically beautiful features. She looked pale and drawn and for a moment, he was worried about her, genuinely worried, but he shook it aside.

"What do you want?" Ridge finally barked out.

"I've been trying to reach you," Taylor answered.

"Yeah I know. Why do you think I turned off my phone?" Ridge snapped. He was not going to let her teary brown eyes affect him in any way, no matter how much hurt was stamped in them. She had after all, hurt him far, far worse by admitting she had recently kissed Hector and had slept with James Warwick all those years before.

"Ridge, I understand you're angry -"

"Damn right I'm angry," Ridge said, standing up - or trying to - though even he acknowledged that he was drunk and nearly staggering in the process. He sagged against the bar. "I have every right to be. You betrayed me."

Taylor looked genuinely pained but once again he told himself he didn't care. She had cheated on him twice and he wasn't going to forgive that. "I think you should go," Brooke piped up before Ridge could say the very same thing. Thank god for Logan. She was always at his side when he needed her.

Ridge nodded in agreement. "I'm with Brooke. You need to go."

"Ridge, I can't go," Taylor insisted. "This isn't about us anyway. Its about you. You and your mother." She held up a hand to stop him before he could protest. "Ridge, shes in the hospital. Shes in a really bad way, according to your father. Eric asked me to find you and bring you to the hospital."

"Oh, Taylor, Taylor," Brooke said, voice dripping with disdain. "Is there no level you will not stoop to? Using Stephanie as ammunition against Ridge when you know she'll outlive us all." Brooke touched Ridge's arm possessively. "Don't buy into this, Ridge. Taylor will do anything to get you to feel sorry for her."

Taylor looked at Ridge imploringly. "Ridge, I may have disappointed you. You may be angry with me. You have every right to be, but you have to know I'd never use Stephanie against you. You know I'd never lie about something of this magnitude. You have to."

Ridge wanted to snap at her that she had lied about other things, very important things, but he resisted because even he could tell when Taylor was telling the truth. His mother had to be really sick. Brooke had referenced seeing her earlier though and hadn't mentioned that she was feeling down so ...

Still, he had to believe that Taylor wouldn't make this up. Would his mother though? She had certainly done it before.

"What's wrong with my mom?" Ridge finally asked.

"Ridge, don't buy into Taylor's bull," Brooke said. "She is obviously playing on your sympathies to make up for what she did."

Taylor looked at Ridge sadly, seeming to question if he had spilled news of their dirty laundry but he was so boozed up he honestly couldn't remember if he had told Brooke anything or not. He just remembered Taylor and the way she had hurt him, had cut him so deeply.

Ridge finally looked at Brooke. "She did something wrong, yes, but I know Taylor wouldn't lie about this of all things." He then pulled away from the bar, nearly stumbling in his drunkeness but he righted himself just in time. He looked at Taylor. "Will you drive me to Cedars?"

"Ridge, I've got my car too," Brooke pointed out.

"I know but Mother won't want to see you. If she's really ill, she could blow a gasket if you walk in with me," Ridge said, sounding more logical than he would have thought possible in his alcohol-filled state. He then turned to Taylor and said coldly, "Let's go already." He heard Brooke make some kind of protest deep in her throat but she let them go anyway.

Taylor offered Ridge her arm because he was tipping so but he rejected it stubbornly until she rested it again, flat at her side. "Let's just get this car ride over with so I can see Mother and be -"

"Free of me," Taylor filled in, her voice undeniably sad.

Ridge nodded. "Yes." He knew then that he had hurt her deeply but he also couldn't for the life of him take it back now.

A/N: So Ridge is being a huge jerk. I promise he will atone soon though! lol Reviews are love.