tayley drabbles

words ; ficlet

"I never meant for any of this to happen," he pleads with her, "I love you, Hayley. You have to believe me."

I love you.

Hayley recalls a time when those three words used to reassure her, to make her feel cherished and secure. When they used to hold meaning, promise and truth. At least, when they would leave her husband's lips. Now, those words feel empty, devoid of sincerity and depth on his tongue. A desperate attempt to mend back something that could not be fixed.

Hayley wipes off the splotches of tears on her cheeks, her hand frozen mid air as she reaches for the front door. Chad's apology hangs in the air, a heavy silence settling over them as she grapples with the harsh reality of the end of their marriage.

She could turn back. She could hear him out. She could brush it off.

But she's not going to. Not this time.

"Baby, please!" Chad pleads again, as he reaches out to grab her arm, "Just listen to me!"

Hayley's expression hardens at the pet name and she pulls her arm away from his grasp.

How stupid could he be to call her that? Especially now, out of all moments.

Emotions course through her, a mix of anger, hurt and sadness. Before she knows it she turns to face him fully, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Don't you dare call me 'baby', Chad. Not after what you've done," she says, through gritted teeth.

Chad watches her, his face a mask of remorse as he realizes the gravity of his actions and the enormity of his mistakes.

"I know I fucked up," he finally admits, his voice seeping with guilt, "I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am."

But Hayley's stare remains unwavering, her eyes locked onto his with a mixture of pain and rage. "Sorry isn't going to fix things this time, Chad. You betrayed my trust again. And now I know, I can't trust you ever again," she says, her voice strained.

Chad swallows hard, knowing he has deeply hurt the woman before him, and there is no going back from this.

"Hayley, please," he implores, his voice cracking slighty, "I promise, I'll make it right. I'll do whatever it takes to fix this, to make you believe in us again."

Hayley chuckles half-heartedly and shakes her head slowly, her resolve unyielding. She takes a step back, putting distance between them and twists the doorknob.

"No, Chad. I'm not sure there's anything left to fix," she says, with a heavy sigh.

As Hayley steps outside, Alf's leash securely wrapped around her hand, a sturdy link between her and her only faithful companion. She glances back at Chad one last time, tears forming in her eyes, "Goodbye, Chad," she whispers before closing the door behind her, leaving him standing alone in their cold home.

She gets behind the wheel of her car and drives without a clear destination for a while. Eventually, Hayley finds herself parked in front of Taylor's house. The familiar sight of the place she had visited countless times in the past offers a sense of comfort amidst the chaos inside her head. Unsure of what else to do, she takes a deep breath and rings his doorbell, deciding that she does, in fact, need someone to talk to.

The door opens, and her best friend stands there, his soft expression morphing into one of concern as he takes in her disheveled appearance. Without uttering a word, Hayley collapses into Taylor's arms, finding refuge in the warmth of his embrace.

Taylor holds her tightly as she begins to sob violently, sensing the turmoil she's going through.

"Shhh, it's okay. I've got you," he whispers, the sincerity in his voice contrasting the recent dishonesty she faced, "I've got you, baby."

Baby...

Why did the term of endearment always felt like a balm to her wounded heart when it came from Taylor, yet felt like a mockery when it came from Chad?

Taylor craddles her head, stroking her hair gently and Hayley nuzzles into his neck, smelling his aftershave while trying not to dwell on why certain words carry different weights depending on who speaks them. And she allows herself to lean into the safety he provides for once.

No use fighting what feels like second nature to them.

***

a/n:

longest drabble i've written yet !! more than 700 words !! actually i'm not even sure if it can be called a drabble atp LOL it's more of a ficlet