Forever Almost

Chapter 14

As the sun began to rise, everyone at the camp prepared to head back to the hospital. Travis caught sight of Taylor, his eyes drawn to the marks he'd left on her neck. He grinned mischievously and gave her a quick wink, which only made Taylor's cheeks flush with embarrassment. She returned his smile timidly, trying to hide her discomfort.

In the car, Travis leaned closer to Taylor, his voice soft but insistent. "You should come over at least once a week. We'll figure something out."

Taylor's heart pounded in her chest, a mix of fear and excitement swirling within her. "I'm not sure that's a good idea," she whispered, glancing out the window. "What if someone finds out?"

"We'll deal with it," he replied casually, his eyes fixed on the road. "Don't worry."

The rest of the drive was silent, filled with tension. When they reached the hospital, Travis was the first to step out. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Kayla appeared, her face lighting up as she rushed toward him with a bouquet of flowers in hand.

"Travis! I missed you so much!" she exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement. She extended the flowers toward him, but Travis barely acknowledged them. Instead, he turned back to the car and opened the door for Taylor.

Kayla froze mid-step, her smile faltering as Taylor slowly stepped out of the car. Shock registered on Kayla's face, quickly morphing into anger.

"You!" Kayla shouted, her voice trembling with fury. "You've been working here all this time and didn't tell me?"

Taylor's eyes widened in surprise. "Kayla, I—"

"Don't even try to deny it!" Kayla's voice rose, her hands shaking with rage. "You've always been jealous of me, haven't you? And now you're trying to steal Travis from me too?"

Taylor's face paled, and she shook her head frantically. "I didn't know you were working here either! I swear, Kayla, I didn't mean—"

"Stop lying!" Kayla screamed, her eyes blazing. "You've always been so pathetic and sneaky, Taylor! You couldn't stand to see me happy, so you just had to ruin everything!"

Travis, still standing beside the car, looked between the two women, utterly confused. "Kayla, what are you talking about? Why are you yelling at her?"

Kayla turned to him, disbelief etched on her face. "Are you serious? She's been hiding this from me, working here in the same hospital, and now she's trying to take you away from me!"

Travis frowned, still not understanding the full picture. "Kayla, calm down. I don't get what you're so upset about. Taylor hasn't done anything wrong."

Kayla let out a bitter laugh, her eyes filled with tears of frustration. "Of course, you wouldn't understand. You never do!" With that, she threw the crumpled flowers to the ground and stormed into the hospital, leaving Travis bewildered and Taylor on the verge of tears.

Travis turned to Taylor, his expression softening as he noticed her trembling. "Hey, it's okay," he said, pulling her into a comforting hug. "I don't know what's going on with Kayla, but don't let her get to you."