guilty as sin? (tayvis)

how dare you think it's romantic leaving me safe and stranded?

Taylor stood frozen as the door clicked shut behind Travis. Her heart felt as if it had shattered into pieces, yet none of it made sense. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe. The weight of her own emotions was too heavy to carry.

Her phone lay forgotten on the couch, notifications still buzzing every few minutes, but she couldn't focus on anything. Not Joe's absence, not Travis's words that lingered like a haunting melody. The words she had never meant to say, but now they were out there, irreversible.

She had dreamt of Travis again. And it wasn't just a dream anymore—it was real, all of it. Her feelings for him were tangible, undeniable, and terrifying.

Taylor wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hold it all together. The silence of the house was deafening, but she knew that no matter how many times she replayed the conversation, it wouldn't change what had just happened. She had crossed a line she could never uncross.

Her feet moved before she could stop them, leading her upstairs to the room she had shared with Joe. The bed, still unmade, held the memories of sleepless nights spent wondering where everything had gone wrong. But now, it wasn't just Joe she was thinking of. It was Travis, his warmth, his presence, and the way he had made her feel something she hadn't felt in so long—alive.

But now he was gone, too.

She sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers running through her hair, tugging at the strands as if pulling them tight enough could help her think. But it didn't. Her mind was a chaotic swirl of guilt, longing, and confusion.

Her phone buzzed again, and this time, she forced herself to check it.

(2 messages from Joe)

Joe 
I'm sorry, Tay. I really am. I know it feels like I'm pulling away, but I'm just trying to figure things out. We'll talk soon, okay? I love you.

She stared at the message for what felt like forever, her heart heavy with the knowledge that "soon" had become a placeholder for "never." The connection she once felt with Joe had been slipping away for months, and now, with Travis in the mix, everything felt even more broken. Maybe Joe sensed it. Maybe he knew she wasn't his anymore, and that's why he couldn't come back.

But if that were true, then why couldn't she let him go?

She typed a response, but every word felt hollow.

You
I miss you. Please let me know when you can talk. I love you, too.

As soon as she hit send, Taylor tossed the phone aside, burying her face in her hands. She didn't know how to fix any of this. How to repair what had been lost with Joe, or how to face the truth of her feelings for Travis. She was caught in a no man's land between the two men she loved, and no matter which way she turned, the path was fraught with heartache.

(...)

Hours passed like a blur. The sunlight streaming through the window faded into the soft hues of dusk, casting long shadows across the floor. Taylor barely noticed. Her mind was still back in that moment with Travis, replaying his words over and over again.

"I won't be second place in your life."

The sound of her front door opening snapped her out of her trance, and for a split second, she thought maybe it was Travis, coming back to talk. But the familiar jingle of keys told her otherwise.

Joe.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she heard his footsteps approaching. He hadn't told her he was coming. Maybe he had changed his mind after all.