𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬 | Tyler Hernandez x Reader

| Ep 50 |

Recommend songs here that you think would fit if SBG or this fanfic itself had a soundtrack. I'm making myself a playlist of songs and might make it public if I like it.

"...Guys?"

Ashlyn speaks up in a strained voice as she digs her nails into the airbag and shoves it away from her chest.

I groan and sit back, dabbing my now bleeding forehead with the back of my hand. I notice the slight curve of Aiden's lips fall flat as he cradles his wrist. I glance over to see Taylor and Ben rubbing their heads uncomfortably.

Taylor's eyes find mine and that split second of eye contact is all I need to pull her into my arms. It is that sense of true empathy that no one else in this car feels.

She quickly wraps her arms around me and cries into my shoulder silently. I feel her tears soak the fabric of my shirt, but all that I am concerned about is the way she is suffering without making a single sound. It's as if she doesn't even have the energy to mourn properly.

We pull away from each other when the car rattles slightly. Ashlyn fumbles for the keys and cranks it, trying and failing to start up the car.

Aiden leans forward and says, "Ash...it's not gonna turn back on."

I flinch when she slams her fist against the center of the wheel. I lean toward her, about to offer physical reassurance. But I then retract my hand once I remember that she's the reason we didn't go back for Tyler.

"...Can everyone move?" She asks us through a heavy sigh.

We all hesitantly nod and file out of the jeep one at a time. Aiden hops out and offers a hand to me. I take it and get out of the car. I notice the way his face scrunches in discomfort when I squeeze his hand. I furrow my eyes at him and gently pull his hand toward me,

"What's wrong? Did you get hurt?"

He smiles over at me as he pulls his hand to his chest, "Don't worry about me. If anything, I should be asking you how you're doing-"

"Give me your hand." I cut him off and grab his wrist. I immediately grimace at the sight, noticing his bone sticking outward underneath his skin.

It must've dislocated when he softened my impact against the headrest. That's what that cracking sound was.

I feel a presence behind me and look over my shoulder to see Ben narrowing his eyes at his cousin's wrist. Aiden scoffs when Ben takes my place and grabs his arm,

"Oh, stop it, you two. I'm fine-AGH!"

Without warning, Ben pops his dislocated wrist back in place, causing Aiden to yelp in agony. I squint my eyes at the sound and it also catches the attention of a few others.

Ashlyn slaps her hand over Aiden's mouth, afraid the phantoms might hear, "Shut up!"

"Yes ma'am-" Aiden's voice muffles behind her palm.

A gentle tap on my shoulder takes my attention away from Aiden and toward a concerned Logan behind me. He frowns when he looks me over and reaches into his pocket for a rag.

"What are you-"

"You're bleeding, Y/N..." He speaks softly, reaching his hand up to my forehead and holding the cloth there.

I had been so deep in my head that I had forgotten about the blood. I hiss when I feel the dry cloth seep into the cut on my hairline. He pulls away for a moment, giving me time to recover, and then finishes cleaning up the rest of the blood.

"Thank you..." My voice comes out into a whisper.

He pockets the cloth and, without warning, pulls me into a hug. I stiffen, not expecting the sudden embrace. But I quickly relax when he whispers, "We'll find him."

Once we tend to each other and make sure everyone is good, we set out into the woods. We try our best to retrace back to where Tyler had fallen back at the cliff.

Every step I take feels heavier than the last. There is a deep feeling of dread looming over my head. Not one, but several hours pass of us mindlessly searching for him.

My thoughts are running a mile a minute, forming up the worst possible scenarios in my head. Throughout the entire search, I keep to myself at the rear of the group, too paranoid to talk to anyone.

We eventually reach the near-end point of our time in the phantom world and have no choice but to find a safe place to pause our search. My expression remains restless and alert, craving that closure that Tyler is still miraculously alive somewhere.

We find a store not far from where we had been searching. Ashlyn guides us through the dark, our only source of light coming from the bulky flashlights we all held.

I feel a hand slip into mine and I look to the left to find a trembling Taylor falling in step beside me. I frown at the sight and pull her closer, allowing her head to rest on my shoulder as we walk.

Her hand squeeze tightly around mine and I hear her whisper against my shoulder, "He's alive."

Her words were more of an attempt to convince herself rather than a solid fact. My chest tightens at the way her voice shakes. I wasn't naïve enough to eliminate the possibility of Tyler no longer being with us. But, right now, we need to believe that he is alive, even if he barely is.

But most important of all, Taylor needs me. Although I possibly lost the love of my life tonight, Taylor lost her brother.

We enter the shop and gather around in a tight circle on the floor. Taylor weakly falls to her knees and hides her face from the rest of us. I kneel down beside her and pull her head onto my lap, softly stroking her hair while she lets her tears fall.

We all fall silent until we shift back into the real world. I fall off the bus seat the moment I hear a thud. I look down and gasp when I see Tyler lying on the ground. His body is shaking uncontrollably and I drop to my knees by his head. Taylor is already violently shaking his shoulders, attempting to snap him out of whatever daze he is trapped in.

"TYLER!!" Her screams pierce my eardrums, making the others shoot up and rush over to Tyler's side.

I lift his head up and my face pales when I notice his overwhelmingly dilated pupils. It's almost like he's looking right through me, which sends a chill down my spine.

"Wake up, wake up!" Taylor pleads desperately, shedding tears instantly, "W-What do we do?! Y/N! What's wrong with him? Tyler!!"

I feel tears form on my waterline and I blink them back, knowing that my vulnerability will only make this harder on Taylor, "I-I don't know..."

"MOM!!" She shouts, lifting her head up to look toward the bus door.

I follow her gaze and watch as Mrs. Hernandez rushes inside, calling Taylor's name. Her and Mr. Banner drop down on either side of me, assessing Tyler's condition.

I squeeze my eyes shut when I hear his mom's voice crack as she says her son's name. It is taking everything in me not to completely crumble before their eyes. I stand up and take a step back as Mr. Banner scoops Tyler up in his arms.

I notice his struggle to keep a decent hold on him, Tyler still continuing to seize in his arms. Mrs. Hernandez scrambles to her feet, reaching for Ty's hand,

"Hey! What are you doing with my son?!" She questions with puffy eyes.

Mr. Banner's brows furrow, "We need to get him to a hospital!"

They both, along with Taylor, rush off the bus with Tyler. I am left in utter shock, with not a single word to say.

But I am quickly snapped out of it when I catch a glimpse of my mom walk through the doors with fearful eyes on me. She constantly looks over her shoulder, likely eyeing Tyler with so many questions running through her head,

"Y/N! Baby!" She rushes over and engulfs me into a shaky hug.

The moment I feel her protective touch, my tough demeanor dissolves and I break down in her arms. Her hold on me tightens as I feel my legs give out. She whispers reassurances in my ear as she strokes my hair gently. All I can do is cry in her arms and pray that Tyler is okay.