𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬 | Tyler Hernandez x Reader

| Ep 45 |

My mom and I walk over to the graveyard behind Ashlyn's house, hearing a faint chatter in the distance. We enter through the open gate and I see everyone huddled by an unlit bonfire. I smile as Ashlyn's parents walk over to greet us.

"Hey, kiddo." Mr. Banner ruffles my hair before taking the platter from my hands. He holds it in one hand and reaches his other for my mom to shake, "And nice to finally meet you Mrs. L/N."

I grimace when he mistakes her for a 'Mrs.', but I know she won't comment on it. They shake hands and she smiles sweetly, "You too! And, please call me M/N."

Mrs. Banner hugs me from the side before falling into a polite conversation with my mom. I follow Mr. Banner and we join the others. My friends were all huddled around Ashlyn, who was holding a white bunny. I quirk a brow up, which Tyler notices. He chuckles and shrugs, likely not feeling like explaining how they managed to acquire the animal.

He moves away from the group to meet me halfway, "I was starting to worry you wouldn't show."

He leans down to kiss my cheek as I respond, "And miss out on the fun?"

Tyler laughs as he guides me over to the group, "Believe me, you haven't missed much."

I look over to find Ben holding a little girl in his arms, who I assume to be his little sister he had mentioned the other day. Ben notices my presence and nudges his sister. Her head spins over to me and I nearly melt at the sight of her big, brown eyes. They were the same color as Ben's.

Aiden walks over to my side, slinging an arm over my shoulders, "Lily, this is our friend, Y/N!"

Ben sets her down as she cautiously approaches me, tucking her brunette hair behind her ear. She stares up at me curiously before saying,

"You're pretty."

She says it so matter-of-factly, it catches me off guard. I crouch down to her level and grin, "Oh, thank you! But I can't even compare with you. You're adorable!"

Lily quickly grows flustered, swinging her arms awkwardly, "T-Thank you..."

I've always had a soft spot for kids, finding their innocence amusing. Lily seemed to be a sweet girl, and it was evident in the way she behaved around people.

I stand back up and watch as she runs to hug Ben's leg. I feel a pair of eyes on the back of my head and turn to find Tyler watching me closely with his hands crossed over his chest.

I walk over to him with my hands behind my back, "What are you staring at?"

He cocks his head to the side, "Lily really likes you."

I glance over at the little girl, who was currently playing rock-paper-scissors with Aiden, "Hm, yeah. She's cute, isn't she?"

He stays quiet for a moment, answering with a nod.

"I don't like kids."

He says it so abruptly, it almost throws me off. But he then looks me over thoughtfully and slings an arm around my waist, "Well, at least I didn't. Until I saw you with Lilly."

I blush at his words and watch as his eyes wander over to her. Tyler had always been horrible with kids. I never understood why, but it was so hard for him to connect with them.

"Y/N!" I hear a motherly voice approach. Tyler lowers his hand from my waist and takes a step back.

I turn to my side to see Mrs. Hernandez walking over with open arms. My eyes light up and I embrace her immediately.

"Hi, Mrs. Hernandez! I'm glad you made it." I say as we pull away.

Tyler stays by my side, worriedly watching our interaction unfold.