Fleeting Flames - Jenna Ortega x Fem Reader

Part 3

You knew you couldn't just leave things unresolved over the phone. Taylor deserved more than that. So you drove to her apartment, each mile filled with dread, the reality of what you'd done settling in like a lead weight on your chest. As you reached her door, you hesitated, hand hovering just before knocking, but then you forced yourself to go through with it.

Taylor opened the door, her smile fading as she took in the look on your face. She stepped aside to let you in, her expression already guarded, like she knew what was coming. "Y/N, what's going on?" she asked, her voice tight with worry.

You took a deep breath, struggling to find the right words, but they all felt wrong. "Tay, I need to be honest with you. Last night... Jenna was here."

Taylor's eyes flickered with recognition and dread, her jaw clenching as she crossed her arms. "What do you mean she was here?"

You couldn't look at her; the guilt was too heavy. "We... we talked. And then it just—things happened. I didn't plan it, but I—"

Taylor cut you off, her voice trembling with fury. "Are you serious? You slept with her? After everything we've been through? God, Y/N."

You flinched at the raw hurt in her voice, hating yourself more with every word. "It was a mistake. I never meant for it to happen, Tay. I swear."

"A mistake?" Taylor's laugh was sharp, edged with disbelief and pain. She stepped closer, her eyes boring into yours. "I've been here for you, Y/N. I've been nothing but good to you, and you just... what? Jumped into her arms the second she appeared?"

You felt your eyes burn, the tears threatening to spill. "You don't understand, it's complicated. She and I... we have this connection. I didn't mean for you to get hurt."

Taylor's expression hardened, her hurt giving way to anger. "No, Y/N. You don't get to say that. You don't get to tell me how you didn't mean it. You did it. You chose her. So what now? You think you can just come back here and say sorry, and we'll pretend like none of this happened?"

She took a step back, her arms wrapping around herself like she was trying to hold her own heart together. "You know what hurts the most? Not that you cheated, but that you didn't even think about me. About us. You just... went with her."

Your heart twisted painfully as you reached out, desperate to make her understand. "Tay, I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve this, and I hate myself for it. But it's not as simple as just... choosing. It's so confusing right now."

Taylor's eyes filled with tears she refused to let fall, her voice cold and unyielding. "You don't get to play confused, Y/N. You knew exactly what you were doing when you were with her. You've got a choice to make, and it's not fair to keep stringing me along."

The ultimatum was there, hanging between you like a wall. "Me, or her. But I won't be your safety net. I won't be here waiting for you to figure out if she's worth blowing up everything for."

You felt like the ground was crumbling beneath you. Taylor had every right to be angry, and the realization that you could lose her forever sank in. "I... I need time to think, to figure this out."

Taylor shook her head, her voice cracking. "Think fast. I'm not going to sit around and watch you chase someone else. You have until the end of the week, Y/N. But don't expect me to be here if you choose her."

---

After the argument, you drove back to your place, feeling hollow and lost. The guilt from Taylor's tears haunted you, but there was another part of you—still aching for Jenna. You picked up your phone, staring at the screen, hoping she would have reached out. But nothing. No calls, no texts.