Even After All This Time (Tayley)

Chapter 9: I've hoped for change, but still I feel the same

*Josh's POV*

I didn't want to go home. As soon as I got there, my parents would most likely tell everyone where I was,  and I needed to make one stop before that happened.

I checked into a hotel after I stormed out on Hayley, debating whether to go and apologize the next day. My hotel was only across the street from where the rest of Paramore was staying, and as I looked out at the rising sun, I saw Hayley, Jeremy, and Zac, suitcases in hand, walk out of the hotel into a nearby cab. I got onto the computer then, and found a flight back to Philadelphia that was leaving only an hour after the one to Nashville, so I bought a ticket to Philly, and then a flight from Philly to Nashville.

As soon as I got off the plane, I got a cab and went to make an apology. The cab stopped, and I got my small suitcase out of the trunk and walked into the building. I took the elevator to the second floor and walked down the hallway. 

I knocked on the door, a second later a little orange head popped out.

"Hayley?" I said.

Her face fell, tears started streaming down her face. 

"No, no, no. Just get out of here. Go away." She whispered. My voice faltered. I had hurt her, I had broken her. 

"I-I-I'm so-sorry" My voice quivered.

"No, go away" She said, closing the door gently in my face.

*Taylor's POV*

Hayley was whispering to a mysterious person at the door. She said something I couldn't make out then closed the door. 

"Who was that?" I asked.

She leaned against the door, sliding down the length of it. She put her head in her hands and started to cry. I rushed over to her, and sat down next to her. 

"Hayles, what happened?" I asked gently.

"J-J-Josh" She mumbled.

"He was here?!" I asked, outraged. That little prick decided to show up to her house after storming out on the band just the day before. "It's gonna be ok," I mumbled into her hair, "come here."

I pulled her tightly to me, kissing the top of her head. 

"Thank you Taylor" She mumbled into my chest. 

"Come on, get up." I said, pulling her to her feet. We walked over to the couch.She settled down then, and I wiped the tears out of her eyes. 

*Zac's POV*

"Jonathan, can you set the table?" My mom called. Jonathan and I were sitting in the living room, watching Gossip Girl. We watched it religiously when I was home. Jonathan sighed, stood up, and walked into the kitchen. 

A few minutes farther into the episode of Gossip Girl, the doorbell rung. 

"I got it" I called out to no one in particular.

I opened it to see my brother standing in the rain with a suitcase next to him. 

"Nice of you to finally come home." I said rudely, then moved aside so he could enter the house.

I sat back down on the couch, no interest whatsoever in Josh. I was flabbergasted at how far he went to seek attention. It was typical of him to get in an argument with anyone on tour, but even when he stormed out at a venue, he always showed up to perform. 

"Zac, I'm sorry" Josh said, standing behind the couch. I ignored him, flipped channels on the tv. "Listen to me!" He demanded. 

"No, listen to me. You are the one that walked out on all of us. We had to cancel a show because you're so conceited that you take everything so god damn far!" This last act of his went too far, I couldn't hold it back anymore. "You hurt every one of us. An apology like that isn't gonna work. Not this time!" I walked away from him, and headed to my room. I heard footsteps following me.

I grabbed my coat, phone, and stormed past Josh downstairs. I grabbed an umbrella and left the house. I didn't know where to go, but I had to get away from Josh.

After half an hour of meandering around the streets of Franklin, I found my way to Hayley's apartment. I headed to her room and knocked on the door. Nobody answered at first, so I knocked again. The door opened slightly to reveal Taylor.

"Taylor, what are you doing here?" I asked, shocked that Taylor would be at Hayley's.

"Zac, what are you doing here?" Hayley said peeking around Taylor. Her eyes were blotchy like she had been crying.

"He came here didn't he?" I demanded. Hayley nodded slightly.  "God damn it!" I yelled. Anger coursed through me, so much that I punched the wall next to Hayley's door. 

"Zac, come inside and cool down" Taylor said gently.

He opened the door farther and I walked in. 

*Hayley's POV*

After Zac had some coffee in his system, and vented his feelings about what happened with Josh, he calmed down. 

I started to cry again while telling Zac about Josh's visit. Taylor pulled me into a hug trying to calm me down.

"Shh, it's ok" Taylor whispered into my head. He kissed my forehead, making my whole body go warm.

"Um. Am I missing something?" Zac asked, confused.

"Umm..." I said, not knowing any words that could describe what happened with Taylor and I. 

"No Hayley. You can't do this. You two just broke up and now you're moving onto someone else? What the hell?!" Zac freaked out, jumping up from his seat. 

 "Zac, calm down." Taylor said, trying to keep Zac from freaking out any more than he already had.

"First Josh, now you two?!" Zac yelled. He shook his head and walked out the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

He left the two of us in silence, staring at each other.