Even After All This Time (Tayley)

Chapter 5: Maybe if my heart stops beating It won't hurt this much

*Taylor's POV*

 I was sitting on the floor in my room, a notebook open in front of me with my acoustic guitar in my lap. I started strumming my guitar, not having a clear idea for a melody, when my phone started ringing. It was sitting on the floor just out of reach, so I put my guitar down and crawled over to it. 

I looked at the screen to see who was calling, and couldn't believe who it was. Hayley was calling me. This was something I only ever dreamed about.

"Hello?" I answered, nervous that it was actually her.

"Taylor...?" She whispered. Her voice cracked at the end of my name, but it still sent butterflies to my stomach. 

"Hayley, what's up?" I asked, trying to be as casual and cool as possible, even though I was the complete opposite.

"Josh....he broke up with me" She said, then started sniffling. I gasped. I never thought this day would actually happen, only in my dreams. Josh and her were too inseparable to end. I never thought I'd ever see the day when she was free of him. Maybe I could actually have a shot with her now.

"Oh my god Hayley. I'm so sorry. What happened?" I asked, concerningly, only because I hated to see her hurt.

She told me everything, from how they had been fighting for weeks, how Josh wanted to kick Jeremy out, and then how she accidentally broke his guitar.

"And then he wanted to break my guitar to make us even." She finished.

I couldn't believe it. That asshole. 

"Did he?" I breathed, worried what the answer was.

"N-n-no" She stuttered. I breathed a sigh of relief. "He contemplated it though. And now he's gone."

"What do you mean he's "gone"?" I asked worriedly.

"He told me he had to get away. He grabbed his jacket and left. I have no idea where he's going, but I don't think he'll be back for the concert." She sobbed. 

Josh wasn't one to just run away. He valued the band the most. Without it, that guy was lost. 

I picked up the pencil sitting next to me on the floor, and began tapping it against the notebook. I blew into the phone hard, and shook my head, trying to think of something to say.

"I don't know what to tell ya kid. At least you'll be on your way home tomorrow and then you can stuff your face with ice cream." I said, trying to cheer her up.

She giggled slightly, making me smile. Her laughter was angelic, and knowing I was the cause of it made me blush. It was a good thing she wasn't here, so that I couldn't embarrass myself in front of her.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Ugh, I just wish this didn't happen now. Like why storm out right before the last show? Why do that to the fans?" She said exasperated. 

"He's gotta be hurting, just like you are. You know how much you mean to him, just like he means a lot to you. Just give him some time, he just needs to blow off some steam. He'll be back around." I said, trying to get her to see the reality of the situation. It might be the only way she could understand what was going on in Josh's mind. 

She sighed, registering defeat. "I guess you're right. I just wish he could blow it off quickly." She said, the sadness in her voice slowly disappearing, becoming replaced with a monotonous sound. 

"Don't force him to come back quickly. Give him time to cool down. You don't want to start another fight with him." I continued.

"When did you become a psychiarist? Shall I call you Dr. Taylor?" Hayley joked.

"I'm just trying to be supportive of you. But yes, you can call me Dr. Taylor." I smiled.

"Ok Dr. Taylor, what is your recommended treatment for a breakup?" She asked seriously.

"Obviously lots of ice cream, but also a nice big hug." I said, wishing I could be the one to hug her.

"Thanks Dr. Taylor, don't know what I'd do without ya." She said, spreading warthm throughout my body. I wish I could be with her to comfort her, and to spend time with her. Josh better get his shit together so that Paramore will stick around long enough for me to actually play some shows with them. 

"That's what I'm here for Hayles" I said, wishing this converstation would last longer.

She chuckled. "I gotta go Tay, Jeremy and Zac just got here." She rushed then hung up, leaving me in silence.

*Zac's POV* 

I looked at my watch to see it was 5:58. We had to get back to the venue by 6:30 and it was at least a fifteen minute walk from the coffee shop Jeremy and I were currently located at. If we didn't leave now, we were gonna be late, at least by my standards.

"Come on Jerm," I said, standing up from my seat. I pushed my chair in, and took another sip of my cofffee. It was gonna be a long night so I got the largest size they served.

"I'm hurrying." Jeremy said, shoveling the last bite of his doughnut into his mouth. He grabbed his coffee off the table and stood up, leaving his seat out. Typically Jeremy.

We headed out of the shop and headed to the venue. There were a bunch of fans outside calling our names but security let us through the back so we weren't mobbed by them...too much. But somehow someone stole Jeremy's coffee cup. 

"Damn, who the fuck steals someone's coffee. Aren't our fans supposed to love us? Swarming us and stealing a man's coffee is not love. They apparently don't know how to love someone." Jeremy said pissed off, but I knew it was mainly from lack of coffee. I couldn't help but chuckle.

We walked into the backstage area to the techs whispering amongst themselves. My drum tech, Nate, pulled Jerm and I aside.

"Y'all better hear this from me before y'all walk into that dressin' room. Hayley and Josh had a fight. She apparently dropped his guitar and the neck snapped off. He flipped and stomped on his guitar, but then he grabbed Hayley and dragged her into the dressing room. He came out and left, but she's still in there." He said concerningly. My jaw dropped and I looked at Jeremy. He had the same expression as I had on, completely baffaled and worried for both Hayley and Josh.

 We walked into the dressing room to see Hayley sitting on the couch, her red hair in a disarray, her eyes bloodshot from crying. She looked up at us with a look of hurt plain on her face. She stood up and we all joined in a group hug, before she pulled away, new tears streaming down her face.

"He left. He isn't coming back tonight."

A/N

Hey guys! I just wanna thank everyone for continuing on with reading my story. It means a lot that people have been reading it. I wanna say thanks for getting me over 330 views and almost 20 votes. Writing this story has made me very happy and I hope that you all enjoy it. It's kinda funny but when I reread this to go over all the editing I start fangirling about it myself. I know there isn't much to it so far, but the next chapter really gets into Tayley. Remember, this is a fictional piece, and my ship stays docked on wattpad. I also wanna give a shoutout to Iipazzuu who this chapter is dedicated to. I'm in love with her tayley stories and I recommend you give them a read if you haven't already! <3