Sunsets and Second chances (a short Tayvis Story)

Chapter 9 : The Secret Keeping

Taylor sat at the kitchen table, glancing at her phone under the table as she pretended to pay attention to the conversation between her mother, Andrea, and her dad, Scott. Her heart was still racing from the earlier conversation with Travis. They had decided, together, to keep their relationship under wraps for a while longer—just until things felt more real.

It wasn't that they were ashamed or didn't trust their parents. They were just... cautious. They were teenagers, and the last thing they needed was for the entire world to know what they were still figuring out. Besides, there was also Austin—Taylor's older brother and Travis's best friend. She wasn't sure how he would take it, especially since the dynamic between him and Travis had always been more like a sibling rivalry than anything else.

"Taylor, are you listening?" Andrea's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she quickly looked up, realizing she'd been daydreaming.

"Sorry, Mom," Taylor muttered, forcing a smile. "What did you say?"

Andrea raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "I was just asking if you had any plans for this weekend. You've been spending a lot of time by yourself lately, and I thought maybe you'd like to catch up with some of your friends. Or..." She trailed off, a thoughtful look crossing her face. "Or maybe you're seeing someone?"

Taylor's heart skipped. She quickly shook her head, a little too quickly. "No, no one special. I've just been busy, that's all."

Her mother didn't seem convinced, but she let the topic drop. "Well, just remember, you can always talk to us if you need to. I know how difficult things can be for you at this age, especially with everything going on with school and friends."

Taylor nodded, relieved that the conversation didn't continue. She couldn't handle the interrogation right now. The truth was, she *was* seeing someone, but she wasn't ready to tell anyone—especially her family.

---

Meanwhile, across town at Travis's house, things were no less complicated. Travis sat in the living room with his parents, Donna and Ed, who were trying to piece together the fragments of his behavior over the past few weeks.

"You've been quieter than usual," Donna said, studying her son. "Is everything okay, Trav? You've been spending a lot of time out of the house lately. You're not, I don't know, seeing anyone without telling us, are you?"

Travis looked up from his phone, his thumb hovering over the screen as he fumbled for an answer. "No, Mom. It's nothing like that. I've just been busy with school and stuff." He knew that was a lie, but he wasn't ready to tell them the truth either. They wouldn't understand.

"Are you sure?" Ed chimed in, his voice more serious. "You know we're always here if you want to talk. You're growing up fast, but we're still your parents. We're not stupid, Travis."

Travis shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The last thing he wanted to do was spill his secrets. He wasn't ready to deal with their judgment, especially when it came to Taylor. "Yeah, I'm sure. I'm fine."

But his parents weren't convinced. They exchanged a glance, and Ed sighed. "Just don't go rushing into things, son. You're still a kid, remember? Take your time with relationships. Things can get complicated."

Travis felt a pang of guilt. The idea that his parents might be worried about him, about *this* relationship, made him hesitate. He wasn't rushing anything. But he also didn't know how to explain it to them. Taylor was different, and it felt real—but that didn't mean he was ready to share it all with everyone. Especially not yet.

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Later that evening, Taylor and Travis found themselves messaging each other, the quiet tension of their secret relationship lingering in the air. They'd agreed it was best to keep things low-key for now, but the secrecy was beginning to eat at them both.