love in the mix - a tayvis au <3

16 - wounded hearts

Liam's eyes were fixed on the floor as he passed through the hallway of the school, trying to avoid the inevitable encounter. He hadn't spoken to Emma since the argument, and the weight of the silence between them was suffocating. Every moment felt longer, each step heavier as he wondered what Emma was thinking. Did she regret not telling him about Travis and Natalie? Did she miss him the way he missed her?

But every time he saw her, the knot in his stomach tightened. It was easier to ignore her, to act like nothing had ever happened, than to confront the possibility that their relationship was falling apart. He hated it—the distance, the uncertainty, the pain.

Emma, on the other hand, was barely holding it together. She walked down the halls, her heart aching each time she caught a glimpse of Liam in the corner of her eye. She saw him everywhere—in the cafeteria, by their old hangout spot, leaning against the lockers like he always did before they'd meet between classes. But now, there was no meeting. There was no quick smile or stolen moment. There was only silence.

At home, the tension was just as bad. Taylor and Travis could both see how much the fight had affected their children, and it left them equally concerned—and guilty. It was their relationship drama that had sparked the argument, after all, and now their kids were suffering because of it.

Liam slumped against his bed that night, phone in hand, his thumb hovering over Emma's name. He'd written a message countless times, deleting each one before sending it. He wanted to fix things, to talk to her, but every time he thought of what had happened, his pride got in the way. He couldn't just forgive her for keeping something so big from him—especially when it hurt his mom so much.

Taylor knocked softly on his door before opening it, peeking her head in.

"You okay, honey?" she asked gently, though she already knew the answer.

Liam shrugged, his voice flat. "Yeah."

Taylor walked into the room, sitting at the edge of his bed. She looked at her son, his eyes distant, his jaw tight. It broke her heart to see him like this—wounded, confused, and not knowing how to handle it.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she pressed softly.

Liam didn't look at her. "What's there to talk about? I'm mad. She didn't tell me, and I can't stop thinking about it."

Taylor sighed, understanding his frustration. "Sometimes people make decisions to protect the ones they care about. Maybe she thought not telling you would make things easier."

"Yeah, well, it didn't," Liam said bitterly. "Now it just feels like everything's falling apart."

Taylor's heart ached. She wanted to help him, but she couldn't fix this for him. It was something he had to work through on his own.

At the same time, Emma was pacing in her room, her phone lying abandoned on her desk. She'd written Liam a dozen texts, but like him, she couldn't bring herself to hit send. The fight kept replaying in her head—the look of betrayal on his face, the hurt in his voice when he'd accused her of hiding things. She hadn't meant to hurt him. She just wanted to protect him from more heartache.

Travis watched his daughter from the doorway, frowning. Emma had been so vibrant before—excited about everything, always smiling when she talked about Liam. But now, she was a shadow of herself, her shoulders hunched in defeat, her eyes red from crying.

"You okay, kiddo?" he asked softly, stepping into her room.

Emma turned toward him, her eyes brimming with tears. "No. Not really."

Travis walked over and sat beside her on the bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Want to talk about it?"

Emma shook her head, her throat tight. "It's just... a lot. I didn't mean to hurt him, Dad. I was trying to protect him, and now he's so mad at me."