End Game - Taylor Swift

sub

I took a deep breath and typed my response.

"Sure. I'll be there." 

As soon as I hit send, I felt a wave of anxiety crash over me. Was this a smart decision? Was I ready to face her? 
But deep down, I knew that I needed to talk to her, to confront her, to find some kind of closure.

The night passed in a blur of restless sleep and uneasy thoughts. I woke up early the next morning, my mind still a whirl of conflicting emotions. 
I spent the morning trying to distract myself, but it felt like time had slowed down to a crawl. 
I checked my phone constantly, the time creeping closer to noon with each passing moment.

Finally, the clock ticked to noon. Time to go. 

I gathered my things and headed out, the drive to our spot feeling both familiar and unfamiliar. 

As I pulled into the small gravel lot by the lake.

I got out of my car and looked around. The sun was shining, the trees were swaying in the gentle breeze, and the water was flowing steadily.

It was a beautiful day, but I couldn't appreciate it.
 
I leaned against my car for a few moments.

Then I saw her walking towards me.

Taylor looked...different. 

She was wearing a white sundress, her blonde hair loose and framing her face. She looked like she'd lost weight, her eyes looked tired, her shoulders slumped slightly. 

I stood frozen in place as she approached me, our eyes meeting.

"Hey," she said, her voice soft, almost tentative. 

"Hey," I replied, surprised at how steady my voice sounded considering how much my heart was racing. 

We stood there in silence for a few moments.

Taylor shifted nervously on her feet, avoiding looking directly at me. She fidgeted with the hem of her dress, her gaze darting everywhere but at me.
 
After a few moments, she seemingly found her courage and looked up at me, her eyes a mixture of sadness and desperation.

"Alex, I know I don't deserve it, but could we sit down and talk? Please?" 

I considered saying no, walking away from her and whatever she had to say. But the part of me that still cared, still loved her, won out.

I gestured to a nearby bench and we both sat down.

I couldn't take the silence any longer. 
"So, You wanted to talk. So talk." 

Taylor looked up. "I...I don't know where to start."

I clenched my jaw, trying to rein in my anger. "How about the start of the affair? That'd be a good place to start, don't you think?"

She flinched at my words, the harshness of my tone clearly affecting her. "It wasn't...it wasn't planned.It just...happened."

I couldn't help the bitter laugh that escaped my lips.

"It just happened? Like accidentally spilling coffee or tripping over your laces? Cheating just...happened, did it?"

She winced again at my sarcasm, her shoulders hunching as if trying to shrink away from my words.

"No...no, that's not what I meant." 

She was silent for a moment, her eyes staring down at her hands. Then she said in a low voice, "I was...confused. I was confused and lonely..."

My heart lurched at her words. Lonely? She was lonely? 

"Lonely?" I echoed, my voice filled with disbelief. "So, you decided to find comfort in my teammates arm? That's your solution?"