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She attempts to breathe. She hadn't really been able to, but she still tries.
The miniscule amount of air enters and leaves her lungs in short stacattos. She shouldn't be this stressed. It's not even a big deal. Hell, it's not even her wedding, she should not be this stressed about it.
She knows how stupid it is, how Jere ran off last minute, but whatever fuck him. But seriously, she'd been team jellyfish for a majority of her friendship with belly, but at this point he's been a bitch. He gets to marry the love of his life for fucks sake, why the hell did he run off?
Anyways, back to her current situation.
She feels like she's the best friend in a movie, planning, but broken behind the scenes. That's not the role she ever thought she'd have.
She also never knew she'd be planning her 19 year old best friends wedding, yet here they are. The groom missing, the bride pining over the groom's brother, and the maid of honor, breaking down in her boyfriends room.
What a life.
Tears streak her cheeks, makeup indefinitely running but who cares? The shit already hit the fan so might as well throw some more at it.
She clutches the pillow she'd snatched for emotional support, pressing it to her face and screaming quiet-ish into it.
When she pulls her face back, her makeup stares back at her. She laughs. A choked and ugly sound, but alas, a laugh.
"Tay, you in he- 𝘰𝘩," Steven says as he walks in. He quickly shuts the door behind him, walking up to her and kneeling beside her. One hand clutching hers and the other on her knee.
His eyes are soft, if she wasn't breaking down she'd probably make a joke. "Taylor, what's wrong?" He asks quietly. She sniffles. "Everything has gone to shit, and I can't help but feel responsible even though I know I'm not the problem at all. Because, and I'm sorry about this," she pauses to take a breath. "Jeremiah is a fucking asshole, he's such a child. And I didn't think I'd ever say this, but he doesn't deserve to be with belly." She says. Turning to cry into Steven's shoulder as he lets out a mixture of a sigh and laugh.
"I thought you loved him with Belly?" He says it as a question but it's really not one. She shakes her head into his shoulder. "Fuck off." She says with a sniffle.
~~~
Even with makeup streaked, mascara lines down her cheeks like Regina George, and and a disgusting snotty nose, she's still the prettiest girl he's ever seen.
She's grinning at him, because of his stupid dad joke. He can hear Until I Found You playing in his head, and he feels like Wes from better than the movies.
She's still smiling at him, arms wrapped around his neck.
Thats when they got the news. Not only the rain, but also that the wedding was off.
The sigh of relief Taylor had let out was immense.
He'd left her to her resources, per her request. She said she needed a bit to reevaluate her situation.
He was standing at the kitchen island when he heard footsteps and a loud sigh.
She flopped onto the chair he'd been standing by.
"Hello to you too," he said. She just groaned in reply. Her hand in the air curled into a claw.
He thought for a moment.
"Hey, you wanna go to the beach?" He asks. She looks up. "But it's raining?" She says. He shrugs and she grins.
~~~
As soon as she feels the wet sand under her feet, she runs to the water. It's odd, she doesn't feel like herself.
She feels drunk almost. Guess that's where the saying, drunk in love, comes from.
She turns around to see an amused Steven. She grins and takes another step into the water.
Was this how belly felt with Conrad? Because it was fucking beautiful.
"Cmon Steven! The water's fine," she says, taking another step into the water. He rolls his eyes and walks to the water.
He stands in front of her, both of them waist deep. He smiles down at her, and she smiles back up at him. The rain is still falling, but more of a drizzle now.
She puts her hands around his neck and rests their foreheads together.
"I love you." She whispers, grinning ear to ear and staring at him. Shes able to see his eyes clearly from her position.
"I love you too." He says, a smile spreading across his face.
They kiss, and though they had many times before, this time felt different. It feels like how the main character explains it in movies, to a tee.
Their bodies are pressed together, and she'd quite literally never been this happy in her life.
She was kissing 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯. Her best friends older brother. A nuisance from her child hood, a mere idea when they'd have sleepovers.
10 year old her would flip her shit. She doesn't know how long they'd been out there. She doesn't care either.
She could stay there forever and never let out a single complaint. Thats until he pulled away and cupped her face in both of his hands, saying "We need to go inside." She sighs and nods.
She can see him thinking for a moment, before he scoops her up bridal style(ironic) and carries her back to the house.
~~~
It'd been hours but she continues to replay it. Though she's still with him, asleep next to her, she continues to replay it.
She wondered if she'd ever know what true love felt like, and now she was sure she did.
𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, she thinks. So she says it.
"I love you." She whispers.
I was lost within the darkness
But then I found her
I found you.....