love in the mix - a tayvis au <3

07 - casual

A few days later, Emma and Liam decided to test the waters with a casual group outing—a barbecue at the park. They invited both families, framing it as just a fun day out, no ulterior motives attached. To their surprise, both Taylor and Travis agreed.

On the day of the barbecue, the atmosphere was tense but not unbearable. Taylor arrived with a pasta salad, her eyes scanning for Travis. He showed up shortly after with a cooler full of drinks, nodding politely in her direction.

Emma and Liam exchanged hopeful looks as the parents exchanged polite hellos. It was a start.

As the afternoon went on, the kids played a game of frisbee, trying to coax their parents into joining. Travis and Taylor were both hesitant, but Emma and Liam weren't giving them much choice.

"Come on, Mom, we need more players!" Liam called, tossing the frisbee towards Taylor, who caught it with an eye roll.

"Fine, fine. But don't expect me to be good at this," Taylor grumbled.

Travis smirked. "Oh, I remember you being pretty competitive back in the day."

Taylor shot him a playful glare. "Only because you were always trying to show off."

Travis laughed. "Guilty as charged."

For a moment, the old camaraderie resurfaced, and they fell into an easy rhythm, laughing and teasing each other as they played. Emma and Liam watched from the sidelines, their hope growing. Maybe this could work after all.

But then, as they took a break, an unexpected comment shattered the fragile peace.

Taylor, in a moment of light-hearted teasing, said, "I'm surprised you're not using your charm on some poor woman here, Travis. I hear you've been quite the flirt these days."

Travis's smile faltered. He knew she didn't mean anything by it—at least, he hoped she didn't—but it still hit a nerve. "I don't know where you're getting that from," he replied, his tone more defensive than he intended.

Taylor's expression turned serious. "Come on, Travis. I'm just joking. No need to get all defensive."

Travis felt the old frustration bubble up. "I'm not defensive. I just don't appreciate the assumption that I'm... whatever you think I am."

Taylor's eyes narrowed. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Emma and Liam exchanged worried glances, sensing the rising tension.

"It means," Travis said, his voice clipped, "that maybe you're still holding onto an idea of me that isn't accurate anymore."

Taylor scoffed, her temper flaring. "Oh, please. You think you've changed that much?"

"I know I have," he shot back. "But I don't think you've ever really tried to see that."

The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, and Liam quickly stepped in. "Hey, hey, let's not do this here, okay? We're supposed to be having fun."

Taylor took a deep breath, clearly fighting to keep her emotions in check. "You're right, Liam. I'm sorry. I think I'm going to head home."

Travis sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah... maybe that's for the best."

Emma and Liam watched as Taylor packed up her things and left, her shoulders tense and her face tight with frustration. Travis stayed behind, but his mood had soured.

Liam turned to Emma, his voice low. "I guess we're back to square one."

Emma nodded, her heart sinking. "Yeah... but maybe this isn't something we can fix."