burning red • joe burrow

013

tara has been trying to convince herself that she was fine, but she wasn't. fake it till you make it didn't work in this case.

the weather hasn't been that great, it's been raining nonstop for the past two days. tee, evan, and jamar have come over the past couple of days, not joe though.

today was a different story, joe did come over with the guys. tara ignored him the best she could.

"pet peeves, go." jamar said. everyone was sitting on the couch, and the tension between joe and tara could be cut with a knife.

"loud chewers." lily said, everyone murmured in agreement.

it was currently 12 o'clock at night, and they boys were going to leave soon, tara couldn't wait to go to bed.

"slow walkers." tee said. "i like to take strides."

"vine people." charlie said. "they only get their humor from vine, like grow up."

"people who snap at other people without giving them a chance to explain." joe said. everyone's eyes widened.

tara could feel joe's eyes on her. he had the nerve to say something like that after he lied to her like that?

tara scoffed and rolled her eyes. she got up from the couch, grabbed her shoes and put them on. she needed to get out of the house.

was it raining? yes. was she still going to go on a walk in the rain? also yes.

once she got outisde into the warm but raining air, her tears were mixed with the rain.

the only light she had were the streetlights. "tara!" she heard someone yell from down the street, it was joe. "please wait."

she didn't want to talk to him, she started running. running usually have her a sense of fearlessness.

like nothing could stop her. the rain got harder as she ran, like what her heart felt was being reflected by mother nature.

she ran two blocks before she stopped to catch her breath. she heard steps behind her now, pattering through the rain.

she turned her soaked body around. joe was a few feet away from her, panting. he most likely ran to follow her.

joe didn't move, he was afraid she would start running again. "tara, please let me explain." he said over the loud thumping of the rain on the concrete.

"what, joe? what else is there to say!" tara said.

"just let me explain, please." joe said, they were both completely soaked in the rain at this point.

"i didn't lie to you." joe started. "yes, marlee cheated on me with finn, but i also broke up with her because i do have feelings for someone else. i'm not mad at her for cheating, because my heart belonged to someone else our entire relationship. my heart has belonged to someone else my entire life. and i meant every word i said in that ambulance, tara. i swear."

"how can you say that when you just said you had feelings for someone your entire relationship." tara said. she felt anger built up inside of her.

"oh my god tara." joe said with a dry chuckle and rolling his eyes. "you're a very smart person, and you're not acting very smart right now."

slowly but surely, joe took steps towards tara. he didn't want her to take off again.

tara had no clue how her lungs weren't punching her for all this physical activity yet.

eventually, they were close. close enough to touch each other, close enough for tara to have to look up to see his face.

the rain and their heavy panting were the only things you could hear. "it's you." joe said, breaking the sound of only the rain.

"what are you talking about?" tara said. they weren't talking as loudly anymore.

"my heart belonged to you, it belongs to you, it will forever belong to you." joe said. tara was internally screaming at the moment.

"but, the girl you were talking about with marlee," tara said before joe cut her off.

"is you." joe said. the blood rushed into tara's cheeks. a smile crept on her face.

"i was supposed to take you to dinner and then do it then, but i kind of want to kiss you now." joe admitted.

"okay." tara replied. as soon as their lips connected, it felt like fireworks were going off in joe's stomach.

once they pulled apart, they ran back to the house hand in hand. "does that mean you're my girlfriend now?" joe asked before he opened the door.

"i hope it does." tara said shrugging her shoulders.

"then you are my girlfriend now." joe said with a smile.

once they got back into the house, the group was looking at them with anxious faces. charlie looked at tara with a, 'did it happen?' face and tara nodded biting back a smile.

everyone already knew what that nod meant and congratulated the pair. "this took way to long, jesus christ." tee said.

• • •

tara took a shower and changed into some dry clothes. she really hoped she wouldn't get sick. the guys had left already by the time she got back downstairs.

"so," lily said once tara joined the three on the couch. "tell us what happened."

"nothing interesting." tara replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"so are you guys like dating now?" rory asked.

"yes." tara replied, a small smile appearing on her lips.

"none of us are single anymore." charlie said moving her shoulders to dance.

"we're a group of best friends dating a group of best friends." lily said.

"this is so hallmark." rory said making everyone laugh.

"we're in our lover eras." tara said.

"i think this calls for a taylor swift jam out session." charlie said running to grab the speaker.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

"but i miss screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain."

anyways, idk where to go with the rest of this plot line, maybe have olivia get involved more