Hayley's POV

I woke up to an absent feeling both in my chest and beside me. I turned to the other side of the bed, finding the expected nightmare: Taylor missing. I sighed at the empty space.

"I hate you, Taylor York," I whispered to myself. To him. The nonexistent him.

I forced myself out of bed and found a Post-It note on my nightstand with Taylor's handwriting simply saying something vague, yet full of such agony.

I'm sorry.

It meant nothing, but drove a knife through my heart all at the same time. Taylor knew what he did would screw me up. And it did. Just not as much as before.

I grabbed my phone and called him.

"Hello?" he answered.

"I hope you realize I hate you," I growled.

"Hayles, I'm sorry--"

"No! I don't want to hear it anymore! You've promised so many times you wouldn't leave, but you end up doing it over and over!"

"Listen--"

"If you promise me something, you better keep it!"

"Hayley," he sighed. "I-I can't talk. Not right now. I'll call you later."

"What?" I breathed, an uncomfortable pang in my chest.

"I can't talk to you right now. Can we discuss this later?" he asked. His voice had an obvious hint of guilt and sadness.

"No, we're going to talk about this now, Taylor York. I'm sick of this."

"Hayley, please," he begged.

"Where are you?" I demanded.

"W-What?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm at home, why?"

"I'm coming over. We need to talk about this." I hung up the phone and started to get ready, worst scenarios already flooding my thoughts.

***

I walked up to Taylor's door, that empty feeling still in my chest. As I studied his door, I remembered Veronica had said something about a key copy under the doormat. I lifted it and found a silver key to his door and went inside.

"Taylor, it's me," I called as I closed the door. Once I entered the living room, my heart shattered like glass. The only reaction I could give was a gasp. Veronica had Taylor against the wall in a passionate kiss. Taylor pushed Veronica off once he saw me.

"T-Taylor?" my voice broke, tears flooding my eyes.

"Hayley, I..." he trailed off. His caramel eyes showed sympathy and sorrow, but I couldn't trust them. For the first time ever, I couldn't trust Taylor. "Hayley, please..."

"Please, what!" I spat. "What?!"

"Honey, please," he tried again, taking my hand. I snatched it out of his grasp and stepped back from him.

"Don't call me honey when you're lip locking with another slut!"

"If you just let me explain--"

"What is there to explain?!" I sobbed.

"Hayley," he sighed, gently tugging on my arm as he tried to urge me into a hug.

"Don't. Touch. Me," I snarled through tears. I tried to pull my arm out of his grasp, but failed. Taylor wrapped his strong arms around me in a firm embrace, his face buried in my hair and my face buried into his chest.

"Hayley, I'm sorry," he whispered. For that moment, I felt that he was sincere; that me finding him with Veronica was a cruel, but meaningful test.

"I hate you," I managed to say through my heavy sobs. "I fucking hate you."

"Veronica wanted to work things out again, so I decided to give her another chance," Taylor admitted. I slammed a fist against his stomach, making him release me.

"YOU LEFT ME!" I screamed. "Christ, York! I don't understand you!"

"I have to move on, Hayley," he forced out through a pained voice. His eyes were sad. "I'm sorry."

"I love you, Taylor! Even when I was in that damn coma, I loved you!" I yelled. Tears were pouring down my face as I failed to halt my sobs. This pain was the worst thing I've ever felt.

"Maybe I should've just died," I said. "If you were happy without me, I should've never came back for you."

"Don't say that," he said, his voice both soft and stern in the most perfect and annoying way.

"Then, what do you want me to say? That I never loved you? Because if I do, I would be lying!"

"You can say anything you want," he said. "Just don't say that."

"Fine," I sneered. "Don't bother following me out the door. It'll be the last time you see me, I swear it." I started towards the door, but Taylor grabbed onto my arm, stopping me.

"Hayley, no," he said. His voice from my suicide echoed in my head, those same words only broken by his sob-filled voice. I stiffened a little, trying to conceal the shiver that wanted to crawl down my spine.

"Hayley, no," he repeated, his voice stern. "I need you here."

"Then, show it," I growled as I yanked my arm out of his grasp.

"I'm going with you." I looked back at Taylor and gave a sarcastic smirk.

"It's more than following, York," I stated.

"No, I mean, I'm going if that's what you really want to do."

"Taylor," Veronica gasped. He looked back at her.

"This was a mistake, Veronica," he said. "Please leave. Now." Without hesitation, she did as she was told.

"Would you really do that?" I asked. Taylor nodded as tears swelled in his eyes. I gave a small smile towards him; he managed to return it.

"You have every right to hate me," he said, his voice breaking.

"I hate you so much, right now," I giggled as I walked up to him.

"I lost you once, already," he said as he tried to urge me into another embrace. "I can't lose you again. If you die, I'm joining you."

"I hate you," I managed to giggle.

"I love you too, rebel," he said as he tucked my hair behind my ear. A tear escaped down his face.

"C'mere, softie," I teased as I took him in a hug.

"I just don't want to lose you again," he whispered into my hair.

"You won't," I reassured. "I promise."