*COMPLETE* As seen on tiktok
Peaked at:
#10 for #taylerholder
What starts as a cute summer romance quickly turns tragic. Follow along with the clues to help solve the mystery that clouds your perfect summer with the boy you hope will heal your hear...
You rubbed the tender spot on your forearm that was already getting irritated by the hard fiberglass of your new pink cast. You weren’t really in pain anymore, but your stomach was in such knots you were starting to wish you hadn’t turned down the pain meds the doctor had just offered you. You stood outside of the hospital room and took a deep breath before pushing your way in.
Tayler laid in the bed, looking so peaceful, yet fragile at the same time. Your parents had agreed to wait down in the car and give you a chance to visit with Tayler on your own but when you made it up to the nurses station on his floor, they’d warned you that he was pretty out of it. Nothing prepared you for seeing him like this though… a bandage on his head and wires attached everywhere.
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You moved to his side and slowly lowered yourself to the bed. You just wanted to be close to him, but were scared of hurting him. This close it was easier to see that the bandage was partially covering stitches on the side of his head he’d been hit.
You reached your hand out, instinctively and gently ran your fingers along his cheek and up towards the hair that was resting atop his ear. Tears were welling up in your eyes as you imagined how very differently all of this could have gone if he hadn’t shown up or if the police hadn’t shown up moments after.
You: *whispering* “God, I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost you.”
Tayler: “Y- You’re here?”
You gasped in shock: “I- I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to- I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
Tayler coughed and tried to push himself up before falling back on his pillow. He was still too weak to move that much.
You: “Don’t try to move. You’re going to hurt yourself worse.”
Tayler: “I just wanted to hold you…”
You scooted down in the bed, cautiously and curled up against his chest. It was amazing how completely normal it felt to be in his arms again. It was like everything wrong in your life could be set right just by breathing in his presence.
Tayler: *rasping against your cheek* “I didn’t know if you’d come…”
You: “You saved me.”
Tayler: “I had no choice. I couldn’t live without you.”
You squeezed tighter against him just taking in the depth of meaning behind those words. You understood exactly what he meant… that he was quite literally willing to die rather than live without you. The tighter squeeze caused him to cough heavier and you pulled back a little to ask: “Other than the stitches, what’s wrong? Are you okay? I mean you can’t be that okay if you’re still here even after I was released but are you going to BE okay?”
Tayler: “I am just here for observation. They mentioned something about letting me go home in a few days when my stitches are ready to come out.”
You couldn’t help but smile as you buried your head into his chest. The words hadn’t been spoken that clarified what any of this meant for the two of you, but it was loud and clear to anyone who might have walked in.
Tayler: “When I get released, I was thinking… maybe I could come over and we could talk.”
You felt your breath catch in your throat: “T- talk about what?”
Tayler sensed your insecurity and pulled your chin up to face him. He paused just before touching his lips to yours and promised: “I almost di*d for you… I think we’re past the point of the cliche ‘what are we’ talk.”
He strained to lean the rest of the way to you and gently pressed his soft lips against yours. The kiss deepened as his arms tightened around your waist before being interrupted by someone clearing their throat in the doorway. You squeezed your eyes shut and repeated silently in your head: ‘Don’t be my dad. Don’t be my dad. Don’t be my dad.’
Sanzone: “Well, it sure looks like you two kids figured things out.”
Tayler: “Are you here to arrest me?”
You: “What? No! Why would-”
You turned to Sanzone to ask in a tone that sounded more like a demand: “Why would you arrest him??”
Tayler: “He warned me not to go looking for you.”
Sanzone: “No, no. I just wanted to check if you were feeling up to giving testimony.”
You: “Why do you need that? You were there. You know what they did!!”
Sanzone: “I know. I know. And I will testify, trust me. But if I could get an official statement from the both of you about everything that led up to what my officers and I walked up on… that is going to go a long way towards making sure Mads never sees the light of day.”
You: “What about Griffin?”
Sanzone: “He has accepted a plea deal. He will be going away for a very long time, but if he keeps cooperating he might just get out in time to enjoy freedom as a harmless old man.”
You could sense Tayler’s confusion so you relayed what you found out that night: “Mads is the one who hurt Dixie. Griffin helped cover it up because he thought it was an accident. He was a controlling, abusive jerk but he loved Dixie in his own way and felt bad for cheating on her. He blamed himself for Mads going crazy because he led her on.
