Ashlyn froze, her hand gripping the edge of the kitchen counter as Tyler's words echoed in her head. Not a girl.
Her brain did cartwheels trying to process this revelation. Tyler wasn't the kind of guy to joke about something like this—not with her, not after everything they'd been through with the band, the fake dating, and that godforsaken PR stunt that started it all.
"Okay," she said finally, her voice deliberately calm. "So... not a girl."
"Yeah," Tyler murmured, barely audible.
Ashlyn leaned back in her chair, her gaze fixed on the ceiling like it might offer answers. "Well, that narrows it down, doesn't it?" Her tone was light, teasing, but she made sure it didn't cut. Tyler didn't do vulnerable often, and she wasn't about to scare him off when he was actually opening up. Besides, he sounded like he was two seconds away from hyperventilating.
Tyler let out a shaky laugh. "You're taking this better than I thought."
"What'd you think I'd do? Hang up and start posting cryptic lyrics about heartbreak on the band's Twitter? Please. You're stuck with me, Hernandez. Now, spill. Who is he? Do I know him?"
Tyler groaned, and she could hear him fidgeting on the other end of the line. "Right. About that... he's kind of... taken? Maybe?"
Ashlyn's eyebrows shot up. "Taken? Maybe? What does that even mean? Does he have a girlfriend or not?"
"Well, most people think he does. I think so, too?"
"You're being extremely unclear, Ty, and you know how I feel about unclear," she said, spinning a pretzel between her fingers like it was a tiny baton of judgment.
"I know, I know," Tyler sighed. "It's just—look, it's complicated, alright?"
"Everything with you is complicated," Ashlyn muttered. "Just tell me who it is before I go full-on FBI mode trying to figure it out."
There was a long pause on the other end.
Then Tyler's voice came through, barely louder than a whisper. "It's Logan."
Ashlyn slammed her fist on the counter so hard the pretzel she was holding snapped in half. "I KNEW IT!"
"You did?" Tyler's voice shot up, laced with panic.
"No, not really," Ashlyn admitted, bursting into laughter. "I just wanted to feel smart for once."
Tyler groaned, but she could hear the small chuckle he couldn't quite hold back. "You're the worst."
"And yet, here you are. Anyway," Ashlyn said, sitting up straighter, "Logan isn't taken. Not that I know of, anyway."
"That's the problem," Tyler said, his voice tinged with frustration. "I think... I think Taylor and Logan like each other."
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DOUBLE UPDATE LETS GOOOOOO
hope u enjoyed, I love all the comments and support you guys have shown me- it truly does mean the world <3
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Heartstrings and Headlines
Romance"Aiden, Its not Tyler who I like... its you.." "... yeah, its quite obvious." IN WHICH A band with newfound successes name 'School Bus Graveyard' gets put in a PR-Ploy to boost the bands rating, however their 'perfect pair' isn't to perfect after...
