𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿- 𝘁𝗷 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀✨

evermore.

The sunlight seeping through the window hits her face at the dawn of six-thirty in the morning. She stirs for a bit, fluttering her eyes. The room is silent, empty. Her mind fills with blankness for a bit from the bliss of sleep, until she comes to the realization all of a sudden, and the thoughts come rushing into her mind like a tidal wave.

He's not here. He's not here, beside her.

Taylor jumps reflexively, head almost hitting the hardwood bed frame. She searches for a warm body, ruffling through the teal bedsheets, desperate. Her mind starts spinning at a mile a minute, her heart palpitating against her chest.

"Where..." she murmurs, running her hands through her hair, proceeding to jump out of bed despite her body begging her to go back to sleep. After all, she needs it after the past few days of working non-stop, and for some reason, she had a headache today of all days. Her bare feet padded against the wooden tiles, as she enters the bathroom, anxious.

"Joe?" she cries, a lump forming in her throat. He couldn't leave. He loves her, and she loves him. Taylor scans the bathroom only to find out he isn't there, like all those times she thought he had left her but she found him in the sink, brushing his teeth, getting ready for work.

She spins around, nearly tripping on her feet as she trudged out of the bedroom urgently, her eyes welling up with tears. She makes her way down the stairs.

No smell of domesticity or pancakes wafted through the air, which was an indicator that he wasn't in her kitchen, wearing his silly maroon apron and wanting to surprise her with breakfast in bed.

She felt fear with every step she took, and the voices in her head speak, "He left you."

"Joe?" she shouts as loud as her voice can get, but nothing. Only silence.

Taylor falls to her knees, which may have resulted in a bruise but she didn't care. Not when she didn't know where the love of her life was. Not when her world was crumbling right before her. She buries her head in her hands, letting the tears seep through.

And in that moment, she remembers. She remembers all the fights that have led to this, this everlasting battle and silence that has gone on for a week now. She remembers the slamming of doors, how she stormed out of the room, how she yelled and screamed while he simply stood there, hollow-eyed.

Taylor finally looks up, spotting the boxes on the floor that had been laid out in the living room, meant for him to take all his things from the apartment with, leave no trace behind, as if he never existed.

She doesn't really remember what they were fighting about, only the fact that she had asked him to leave. She remembered him apologizing to her, even though she knew in her heart that it wasn't his fault. On that night, she had emptied more wine bottles that she had saved for special occasions, because who gave a shit about special occasions when the love of your life had left you?

She cries for about the billionth time after that night, regretting everything she said. All she knows is that she loves him, and whatever fight they had, they could fix it. What matters is that they have each other.

She leans on the cold, hardwood tiles where they had their fight, and breathes, trying to remember his scent again as she gives in and drifts off to sleep, the tears pouring out of her eyes uncontrollably.

—

Taylor feels herself being carried. Oh God, is she getting kidnapped? Could this week get any worse?

But the hands that touched her bare skin.. they were so gentle. She couldn't help but feel at ease. So she allows it, not even bothering to open her eyes. She hears a few creaks on the stairwell before being laid on the soft comforts of her mattress that she had left earlier this morning.