"Tay," Jenna sighed when the shorter girl intertwined their fingers. "We're in public," she said in a hushed voice.
Tay sighed and released her hand, a bit upset that Jenna wanted to hide their love. They had been together for almost a year now, and Jenna was still afraid to come out to the public about their relationship. Tay wanted to, she thought about it every day, and she hoped that Jenna would be as eager to tell the world that they were together. Unfortunately, Jenna wasn't.
"I just want to be able to hold your hand in public, is that too much to ask?" Tay spoke up.
Jenna was taken aback by her response. As far as Jenna knew, Tay was fine with keeping their relationship a secret, but that wasn't how she truly felt. Tay wanted to be able to kiss Jenna and hold Jenna and love on Jenna, and she didn't care if the whole world saw. Hell, she wanted them to see. Jenna wanted all of this, too, she just wasn't ready for all of the questions that came along.
"It's not too much to ask, but..." she looked around to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation before continuing. "You know I'm not ready."
"I know, Jen, but when will you be?"
Tay's question left Jenna wondering if she'd ever be comfortable with people knowing about the love they share for each other, but how would they be able to move forward in their relationship if they had to hide it?
Jenna shook her head. "I-I don't know, Taylor, I'm sorry."
Her eyes began to water as she heard those words escape Jenna's lips. She tried to keep a straight face, but it seemed like the only expressions she could make were the ones of sadness and disappointment. This worried Jenna, because she knew that her words had affected Tay in the way she hoped they hadn't.
"Tay, you know--"
"Yeah, I know you care about me, I get it. I care about you too, Jen." Her breath was shaky and she knew that she could break down at any moment. She turned away to wipe away the tears that fell against her will, and then spoke, "I just- I think we need a break."
Jenna shook her head. "No. Please, Tay. Just give me some time to think about things and everything will be fine. I promise."
"That's what this break is for, Jenna. I need time to think over things, too. This isn't just about us, there's so much on my plate with We Are The In Crowd and I'm pretty sure it's the same for you and Tonight Alive. We both live busy lives and it's hard for me to try to commit to someone who isn't ready to be open about our relationship."
Jenna nodded despite how much Tay's words stung, but she knew she was right. They both needed time.
"So, are we over?" Jenna asked.
She shook her head. "Don't say that, we're nowhere near over."
"Then what are we?"
"I guess we're just taking some time apart."
•×•
Two months passed, and Tay and Jenna hadn't talked to or seen one another since that night. They were both having a hard time adjusting to the fact that there would be mornings where they wouldn't wake up next to each other, or days where they wouldn't text each other an 'I love you' or two. It was hard.
She stood in the crowd of people, watching as Tonight Alive finished their new single 'The Ocean'. Tay couldn't have been more proud of Jenna, and she felt good being able to see her so happy doing something she loved. All she ever wanted was for her to be happy.
Tay snapped out of her thoughts when Jenna began to speak.
"This next song is dedicated to someone I love with all of my heart. They have been apart of my life for so long, and the impact they've had on my life is indescribable. I wish they were here tonight so I could share how much they truly mean to me with them, but since they aren't, I can only hope that they know
