The Way We Once Were

five

Travis's POV

I hung up the call with Taylor, my thoughts racing wildly. She didn't deserve any of this. If only she could break up with Joe, I would treat her so much better. I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep, but after ages of tossing and turning, I gave up, lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. 

I couldn't stop thinking about Taylor. Her vibrant blue eyes, that almost turned grey when she was upset. Her bright smile that always brightened my day, and that cute giggle when I made her laugh.

I opened my phone, going into my photos and scrolling to two years ago. I pressed on the first photo of Taylor I had. It was one of her behind me, resting her head on my shoulder. She was smiling happily, her hair in wet curls cascading down her back. We were standing on the beach, obviously fresh from coming out of the ocean, both of us still soaked.

 I swiped to the next one, and I was piggy-backing Taylor. She was laughing hysterically on my back, flinging her arms in the air. Her hands were wrapped around my neck, holding on for dear life.

I swiped to the next photo, where Taylor was situated in my lap on my couch. We were watching a movie together, my hand playing with her long braid. We were both gazing into each other's eyes, paying no attention to the movie playing in front of us. She had a cute smile on her face, and she was scrunching up her nose at something I had just said.

I swiped through the photos, filled with a sense of longing. God, I missed her like hell. I wished we had never broken up, we had stayed in a long-distance relationship. I didn't care if it was messy, we would've worked it out. I sighed, setting me phone down on my bedside table, rolling over to try and sleep. I thought of Taylor's gorgeous blue eyes as I began to drift off, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

A few hours later, I woke up, the flimsy hotel curtains doing nothing to block the bright sunlight that was streaming through the window. I groaned as I groggily woke up, stretching. I rubbed my eyes and got out of bed, walking downstairs. I walked into the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. My mind was set on Taylor, her broken voice as I talked to her last night on the phone.

Suddenly, I heard a knock at my door. Who would be awake and here so early? I ran downstairs and peered through my apartment's peephole. All I could see was a plaid, cropped flannel and black denim shorts. So, I opened the door, and my eyes widened when I saw Taylor standing there, looking perfect as always. I looked down at my clothes, suddenly very aware that I was still in my pyjamas.

"What are you doing here kitten?" I asked her, concerned. Her eyes were red, like she had been crying. "I just needed to get away from the house." She whispered. "Can I come in?"
I nodded, stepping away from the door so she could walk in.

"Do you need someone to talk to?" I said, looking at her, concerned. She nodded, before starting to speak. "I really need you to understand this Travis, but I still really love Joe. When we first met, I thought we were practically soulmates, and even though he's been treating me like shit, I think there's a nicer part of him hiding under all the anger. He's been having a lot of trouble at work and he's probably just taking out all his frustration on me. I think that once things clear up, he might actually... you know." She finished.

I nodded, trying to process everything she just told me. So, she loved Joe. She didn't want me. She sat down on the couch, wrapping her arms around her body. I sat down tentatively next to her, placing my arm over her shoulder, holding her close to me.

To my surprise, she leaned into me, gazing up into my eyes. "I was so scared last night." She breathed. "But you helped me. You comforted me. It was almost like we used to be." She sighed longingly. I froze. Did she want me like I wanted her?

"Do you wish we were still how we once were?" I asked her haltingly. She didn't answer me, but she stood up, something unreadable in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I've got to go." She said quickly, running out the door. I looked out my balcony window, watching her get into her car. I heard her car start up, then she was gone. Just like that.

I cursed myself. What did I do wrong? I walked disappointedly into the kitchen to make myself some breakfast. I couldn't get over the fact that I had probably messed things up between us two. Again. I dejectedly threw some toast into the toaster, grabbing out some peanut butter to spread.

After breakfast, I got dressed and sat on the couch, deep inside my thoughts. I needed to fix my mistake. I didn't realise that my question would affect her as much as it did. Maybe she wanted to stay with Joe. Maybe she really did love him, enough to not want to come back to me. When Taylor and I broke up, we promised to stay friends, and support each other through all the highs and lows. I couldn't let this break our friendship.

I reached for my phone and clicked on Taylor's messages. I started to type, before reading it over multiple times. My finger hovered over the send button. Would I regret this? Better question: would I ruin things in between us? It was a risk, but I was going to take it.

Travis: I think we should talk. Can you meet me at my apartment tomorrow at 8pm? Let me know if you can't come and we'll try and find a time to see each other.