The Great War

🥀Better Man🥀

The song in the title is "Better Man" by Taylor Swift.

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I know I'm probably better off on my own
Than lovin' a man who didn't know
What he had when he had it
And I see the permanent damage you did to me
Never again, I just wish I could forget when it was magic
I wish it wasn't 4 a.m., standing in the mirror
Saying to myself, you know you had to do it
I know the bravest thing I ever did was run
Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I can feel you again
But I just miss you, and I just wish you were a better man
But I know why we had to say goodbye like the back of my hand
But I just miss you, and I just wish you were a better man
A better man

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3rd Person POV

Once Zander leaves the room, Jake turns to Hailey, his expression serious but soft. He can see the tension in her body and can tell that Zander's words have brought up some painful memories.

After a moment of silence, Jake reaches out and gently touches her arm. "Hey," he says softly, "can we talk for a minute?"

Hailey nods, still avoiding eye contact. She knows what he wants to talk about, and she's not sure she's ready to delve into the painful parts of her past.

But she trusts Jake, and she knows he cares about her. So she gives him a weak smile and nods again, signaling for him to speak.

Jake takes a deep breath, not wanting to push too hard but also wanting to show her that he cares. "Hailey, about what Zander just said about your ex..." he hesitates, not sure how to bring it up without hurting her further.

Hailey tenses up even more, her hands gripping tightly onto the fabric of her clothes. She knows what's coming next, and the memories of her past are flooding back into her mind.

She takes a shaky breath and nods. "Yeah?" she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jake notices the tension and speaks gently, his voice soft and compassionate. "I just want you to know that I'm sorry you had to go through that. And I want you to know that you can tell me anything. I won't judge you, and I won't think less of you. I just... I want to know more about what happened. If you're ready to talk, that is."

Hailey is silent for a few moments, her mind racing as she debates whether or not to open up. But then she looks up at Jake, and sees the sincerity in his eyes. She knows he's not asking out of curiosity or to gossip. He genuinely cares about her, and wants to understand her better.

She takes a shaky breath and nods again. "Yeah, I guess I'm ready to talk about it."

Jake smiles softly, grateful that she's willing to open up to him. He takes her hand and leads her over to the couch, sitting down next to her and turning to face her. "Take your time," he says gently. "And if you want to stop at any point, just let me know. Okay?"

Hailey nods, feeling a mix of relief and trepidation. For so long, she had buried these memories deep inside, not wanting to deal with the pain. But now, with Jake's compassionate and caring demeanor, she feels safe enough to open up.

She takes a deep breath and begins to speak. "My ex, his name was Daniel." (Sorry if ur name is Daniel-)

Jake listens intently, his gaze never leaving her face as she speaks. He can see the pain in her eyes as she talks about her ex-boyfriend, and his grip on her hand tightens slightly, offering silent support.