GXG Imagines 2

Taylor Jewel (makes you feel seen)

You know that feeling when someone becomes your favorite part of the day without even trying?

That's Taylor Jewel.

The girl who always manages to put a smile on your face. The girl who makes you feel seen.

Whenever your brothers are too busy hanging out with Belly, Taylor is the one who keeps you company. She never lets you fade into the background or pretend you're okay just to make room for everyone else. Somehow, she always knows when something is bothering you, and she makes sure you have the space to talk about it.

You've known Taylor for years.

Every summer, when she comes to Cousins to visit Belly, you secretly hope she's coming to see you, too.

Your favorite days are the quiet ones.

The two of you sitting by the ocean before anyone else is awake, watching the sun rise as the waves gently crash against the shore. Or staying long after sunset, talking about everything and nothing at all until the stars replace the last streaks of orange in the sky.

Then there are the louder days.

Volleyball games that somehow end with one of you tackling the other into the sand after being declared the loser. Water fights that leave both of you soaked. Endless laughter echoing across the beach.

Those are the moments you wish could last forever.

And that terrified you.

Taylor was your friend.

Your best friend.

And she was a girl.

Weren't you supposed to feel this way about boys?

Why couldn't you just be... normal?

And if these feelings were real... what then?

What would Conrad and Jeremiah think?

What would Belly say?

Steven?

Your mom?

The questions never stopped.

So you buried your feelings as deep as you could, convincing yourself they would eventually disappear.

But Taylor made it impossible.

Somewhere between those early morning conversations and playful shoves into the sand, you fell in love with your best friend.

You tried convincing yourself it was just admiration.

That she'd always been affectionate.

That the butterflies in your stomach every time she hugged you or intertwined your fingers with yours would eventually disappear.

They never did.

Instead, they only grew stronger.

The hardest part wasn't loving Taylor.

It was forgetting who Taylor was.

Whenever it was just the two of you, she'd make you feel like you were the only person in the world. She'd lace your fingers together as she dragged you toward one of your secret spots, throw an arm around your shoulders while you walked along the beach, or rest her head against yours as the two of you watched the waves.

Those moments made you feel... special.

Like maybe—just maybe—you meant as much to her as she did to you.

But then everyone else would show up.

And reality would come crashing down.

Taylor would greet Belly with the same warm hug.

She'd grab another friend's hand just as naturally as she grabbed yours.

She'd compliment a stranger, sling an arm around Steven's shoulders while teasing him, laugh with Jeremiah, bump Conrad's shoulder, and flash that dazzling smile at anyone she met.

Because that was Taylor.

She loved loudly.

She cared openly.

She made everyone feel seen.

Not just you.

Every time you let yourself believe there was something different about the way she looked at you, she'd unknowingly remind you that there wasn't.

You weren't special.

You were just another person lucky enough to be loved by Taylor Jewel.

And somehow...

That hurt more than if she'd never cared about you at all.