Afterglow

"HOSPITAL"

"Can you stop playing footies with me?" I huff annoyed.

"Im sorry, but sitting in a hospital is kind of boring!" Mindy replies, next to me in Taras room.

"May I not remind you we are here for our friend." I say. Tara looks at us smiling, then waving.

"Aw you care about your little sneaky link—"

"Shut up!" I whisper shout at Mindy, grabbing her arm. She rolls her eyes.

"Calm down. No one can hear us." We both glance to Amber who was comforting Tara, and Chad and Liv talking.

"Still. It was a one time thing. It's never gonna happen again—"

"If you say so." Mindy lets out a laugh. The door opens making everyones head turn. We all stand up seeing Sam walk in, with a guy? She looks at all of us, then Tara. She kneels down to her hospital bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"You came." Tara smiles at Sam.

"Of course I came. This is my boyfriend, Richie."

"It's so nice to meet you. I'm so sorry if I'm intruding." He says. Tara sends him a small wave.

"Nice to meet you, too." After that, Sam walks over to us, hugging us.

"Thank you for calling." Sam hugs Wes.

"Of course."

"Look at your hair! I like it." Sam smiles at him.

"These are Chad and Mindy, the twins and Wes and Y/n." She tells Richie. "I used to babysit them all." We send him light waves.

"Which is always how I like to be introduced." Wes laughs.

"And Amber, hey." Sam looks over.

"Hi. Nice to see you."

"H—Hi. Im Richie."

"Hi."

"Where's Mom?" Sam asks.

"She's stuck at a conference in London. She called me earlier." Tara explains.

"Yeah, for ten minutes." Amber mutters. "Uh, look, guys, Tara's really tired. Maybe we should just give her some space." We all agree, nodding at each other.

"Not you, Sam." Tara speaks up. "I want you to stay." We all freeze awkwardly.

"Okay."

"But the rest.." Chad trails off.

"Yeah."

"Mhm."

"Yup." I walk out with Wes, Mindy, and Chad. Amber still in the room talking to Tara.

-

"Hey." I knock on the hospital door. Everyone gone, Sam went to freshen up, the rest of the group at the bar.

"Hi." Tara sends me a light smile. "Shouldn't you be with everybody else?"

"Yeah, I just..I wanted to check on you. Without anyone around. How are you?"

"I mean—the painkillers are working. So, I guess..a little better?" She jokes, making me smile.

"You had me scared, not gonna lie." I walk closer to her bed. She smiles at me. I bend down a bit, so Im as tall as her in the bed. I see her lean in, which I speak up. "Tara, we can't."

"I know—I'm sorry."

"It was a one time thing."

"I know." We both sit there in silence.

"I—I should get going. Just be careful, okay?" I back up.

"Yeah, of course." She gives me a small smile.

"Hey, Y/n?" Sam walks into the room.

"Shit—hey."

"Hey?"

"I was stopping by to check on Tara." I explain.

"Oh."

"Yeah—I have to get going now. Goodbye." I rush out of the room.

-

Tara's POV:

"What was that about?" Sam chuckles, sitting down next to my hospital bed.

"There's been a lot going on since you left."

"Like what..?" She asks. I sigh.

"Y/n and Amber are dating."

"What—?"

"Me and Y/n hooked up..when they were dating—"

"Woah. Tara, hold on?"

"We were at a party, we were drunk—the only person that knows is Mindy. And well us of course—now you."

"Uh, um—"

"And now I can't do anything about my feelings, cause Y/n will choose Amber over me— not to mention Amber is my best-friend. I mean, how could I do that to her? Hooking up with my best-friends girlfriend? Are you kidding me—"

"Tara, slow down." Sam sighs. "You and Y/n hooked up, while Y/n and Amber were dating, but you have feelings for Y/n. Yet, she choose Amber..?" Sam tries to understand.

"I guess.." I shrug.

-