TNT Short Fics

Just grab my hand and don't ever drop it - Part 2

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She paces in front of the island, picking at the corners of her nails. The pit of dread in her stomach is familiar—it has been months since she last felt it, yet here it is. But this time, it's different—both heavier and lighter at once.

Travis's words replay over and over in time with her steps back and forth on the wood floor.

"It feels like you don't trust me and I don't know what to do with that."

Taylor digs her teeth into the flesh of her thumb to keep from crying.

She hadn't meant to keep anything from him. Not really. When Drew called and walked her through the issue, she simply put it into the same box in her mind as the rest of it. A place she has spent years avoiding. Plus she didn't want to bother him with the playoffs looming.

Yet, a comment today from Drew, who thought Travis knew, led to him questioning why she didn't let him know.

"It's not a big deal," she said with a shrug as she dropped toast into the toaster.

"Not a big deal? Tay, that didn't sound like nothing, Jesus," he'd countered incredulously as he gathered his iPad and keys for the team meeting.

"I hear it all the time," she replied, trying to stay nonchalant about the whole thing. Hoping he'd let it rest. "It's just is what it is. You got the security briefing when we started dating. I will deal with it."

"Tay," he hedged.

"No," she interrupted. "It's not yours to deal with."

That stopped him in his tracks. As he looked at her confused, she saw the change in his face. It was not a look she'd seen much outside of the football field. He was pissed.

"Not mine...Fuck that, Taylor. I care about you. Of course, it is mine."

She still doesn't know why she kept it up. Kept pushing. "I'm a big girl, Travis. I don't need you to fix this. You can't."

"I'm not trying to fix it," he asserted. "I'm trying to talk about it. To understand."

"You are going to be late," she said, trying to get him out of the door before she cried.

"I don't give a shit."

At his words, she set her plate down hard on the counter. "I do," she said firmly. "I don't want anyone to yell at you because of me. Go, please."

Travis grabbed his stuff and headed for the door. Stopping as he reached for the handle, "We're not done with this, Taylor."

She looked away, out the French doors that led to the backyard. The door slammed.

Taylor had realized he never once raised his voice. Over the past six months, she loved learning new things about Travis. Relished every new fact. Slotting every facet of his person into place was so satisfying.

Learning he wasn't a yeller in fights wasn't a satisfactory thing to learn after all.

And now here she is an hour later, still pacing. Taylor knows she needs to do something, anything but continue this back and forth. Travis will be home soon, and she feels stuck until she sees him again.

The window nook off the den is one of her favorite spots in the new house. She drops to the window seat, feeling the winter sun on her face. She leans her head against the window and tries to just breathe.

He finds her there sometime later.

"Hi," he says, leaning against the wall. He seems far away and she hates the space she's put between them. She looks down, picking at her nails once more, with a soft, "Hi."