thick skull | tayley ✓

last hope

"It's just a spark,
But it's enough to keep me going.
And when it's dark out, no ones around,
It keeps glowing"
paramore

Taylor hadn't seen her in two weeks.

Zac updated him regularly, even on the little things. It felt nice to know what she was up to, to know she was being taken care of.

He knew Zac was trying to cheer him up with random pictures of Alf and joking conversations, but nothing seemed to really matter without Hayley by his side.

But she hadn't even tried to contact him.

Not once.

Days flew by and with every day, he could tell Zac was getting more worried about him, too. He eventually stopped bringing Hayley up unless asked specifically about her, mainly just talking around the subject.

Taylor wasn't ready to go back to the house, no matter how badly he missed spending time with the girl, his girl. He just couldn't face her. He felt like she'd broken some part of him that's never been touched before and he just needed time to recover.

He promised to never leave her, and he was still determined to keep that promise, even today when just thinking about her seemed to break his heart into a million sharp pieces.

He knows he'll go back to her.

Zac eventually got Taylor to agree to meeting at the studio, saying he had some new ideas for music he wanted to show him. Taylor didn't even wanna think about music right now, especially didn't wanna work on it. Not without Hayley.

But Zac had done so much for the both of them, Taylor felt like he had to give in at some point.

For the first time in two weeks, Taylor tried to look put together.

Being back at the studio was a weird feeling. He hadn't been there since right before lockdown happened, and he still remembers the last time they'd walked out those doors. Remembers the way they were feeling, so hopeful and happy about whatever was to come next. He remembers Hayley clinging to his arm, whispering how much she loved him while Zac made fake gagging noises from behind them.

They'd already been together for a while at that point, but he'd never been more in love.

He glanced around the empty parking lot, a montage of memories playing in his brain. His eyes ended up on a parking spot, the same one Hayley always parked at. He thinks back to holding her keys above his head, teasing her, not letting her have them till she finally planted a kiss on his lips. Somewhere in the kiss, he'd let go of her keys, instead using his hands to pin her against the car.

But right now, the spot was empty. There was no car to be seen, no happy couple kissing against it. Just nothing.

Normally Taylor would smile at a happy memory like that, with Hayley, but he's not sure where she went. Isn't sure he's talked to her in months. Of course he'd spoken to her, but it didn't feel like he was talking to his Hayley. Just some other version.

Hesitantly, Taylor walked up to meet Zac at the door. The two shared a quick greeting before walking into the building, heading back to the room they used to spend all their time in.

"So what is it you wanted to show me? And why the hell are the lights off?" Taylor asked, his voice sounding tired as he walked ahead of Zac.

"You'll thank me later," Zac told him, followed by the sound of a door shutting. Taylor turned his head quickly to see Zac was no longer there.