Broken Records | Tayley

Chapter 2: Sinking

Hayley's POV

Back in Tennessee, the days blurred together in a haze of grief and exhaustion. My mom had welcomed me home with open arms, my sisters had hugged me tight, and my grandparents had made sure I was fed and cared for. But no matter how many people surrounded me, I felt utterly alone.

The house was quiet—too quiet. Alf was my only constant companion, following me from room to room, his soft eyes watching me with concern. He seemed to know when I needed him the most, curling up beside me on the couch, nudging me with his nose when the tears came.

I didn't want to see anyone. The thought of facing the world, of pretending that I was okay, was too overwhelming. So I stayed inside, cocooned in the safety of my home, trying to find some semblance of peace.

But peace was elusive. The memories of my marriage haunted me, the mistakes, the regrets, the endless cycle of trying to fix what was broken. I had believed that love was enough, that if I just tried harder, if I just held on a little longer, things would get better. But they hadn't. They had only gotten worse.

The depression settled in like a heavy fog, wrapping around me, pulling me down. It was a suffocating weight that pressed on my chest, making it hard to breathe, hard to think. I felt like I was sinking, deeper and deeper into the darkness, with no way out.

Music was my only escape. I would sit at the piano for hours, pouring my heart out into the keys, trying to make sense of the chaos in my mind. The words came slowly at first, hesitant and unsure, but then they started to flow, a torrent of pain and anger and loss.

It wasn't just therapy. It was survival.

But even music couldn't completely silence the voices in my head, the ones that told me I had failed, that I wasn't enough, that I deserved what had happened. They were loudest at night when the world was quiet and there was nothing to distract me from the thoughts that clawed at my mind.

Alf would curl up beside me in bed, his warm body pressed against mine, his breathing slow and steady. I would bury my face in his fur, trying to find comfort in his presence, trying to hold on to the one thing that still made sense.

But even Alf wasn't safe. Chad had fought me for him, tried to take him away, as if he could strip me of the last piece of happiness I had left. The thought of losing Alf had nearly broken me. He was my anchor, the one thing keeping me tethered to this world.

But I had won that battle. Alf was mine. And in those moments of despair, when the darkness threatened to consume me, he was the light that kept me going.

Taylor's POV

Watching Hayley struggle was one of the hardest things I had ever experienced. She was always so full of life, so strong and independent. But now, she was a shadow of herself, drowning in the aftermath of a love that had torn her apart.

I tried to be there for her as much as I could. I would drop by with groceries, make her tea, sit with her in silence when she couldn't find the words. But there was only so much I could do. The rest was up to her.

I could see the toll it was taking on her. The way her eyes seemed to lose their spark, the way she retreated further into herself with each passing day. I wanted to shake her, to tell her that it wasn't her fault, that she didn't deserve this, but I knew that she had to come to that realization on her own.

One afternoon, I found her at the piano, her fingers moving slowly over the keys, her head bowed in concentration. She was playing something new, something raw and emotional, and it broke my heart to hear the pain in her music.

I didn't say anything, just sat down beside her, listening as she poured her soul into the melody. When she finished, she let out a deep sigh, her shoulders slumping.

"That was beautiful," I said softly, not wanting to startle her.

She glanced over at me, her eyes tired and haunted. "Thanks," she murmured. "It's all I have right now."

I reached out, placing a hand on her back, rubbing gently in soothing circles. "You have more than you think, Hayley. You have your family, your friends, Alf... You have me...and Zac, our band!"

She gave me a weak smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I know. I just... I don't know how to get out of this. It feels like I'm drowning, and no matter how hard I try, I can't find the surface."

My heart ached for her. I wanted to take her pain away, to lift the weight off her shoulders, but I knew that this was something she had to work through herself.

"I'm here," I told her, my voice steady and reassuring. "Whenever you need me, for anything. I'm here."

She nodded, leaning into my touch, and for a moment, I felt like maybe, just maybe, she believed me.

But I knew it was going to take time—time, and patience, and love. And I was willing to give her all of that.