In the Long Run

by Haley Cass

It was uncomfortable for the very frustrating, betrayal response her body had from a simple touch. Taylor’s touch wasn’t uncomfortable beyond the fact that it was totally encompassing. It was always like that.

BAHAHA she got you hooked already damn

She reached down and batted Taylor’s hand away at that exact feeling starting to form. Absolutely not.

GAH BUT WHY NOTTT

“The point is that I think that there are times where your path crosses with someone else’s just at the right instant. Where you meet someone who’s good for you at that moment. And maybe, right now, at this moment in time, I’m yours.”

HELLLLLOOO ???

And Taylor absolutely beamed up at her in a smile so crazily warm, Brooke wasn’t entirely certain that the sun hadn’t loaned Taylor a ray or two. How did she always do that?

SIMPPPP

But Taylor’s were often reaching for something – her, usually, if they were in the same room.

hold ur horses buddy, let’s analyze this one rq

Brooke cut her off swiftly with a look. “Taylor, it’s raining and it’s cold and you’re soaked and you don’t even have a damn jacket on. Would you get inside the house before I really do get upset?”

yes ma’am 🧎🏽‍♀️

Which drew Brooke’s gaze, causing her to give a double take, her mouth falling open, before she grumbled, “Of course Gremlin likes you.”

I KNEW IT

You can make your own choices but still be the casualty of someone else’s war. We all have the people who’ve shaped us, but the same person who broke your heart is someone else’s hero. The thing you’re running away from is exactly what someone else is running toward. Make your mistakes. Chase your dreams. Speak your truth. Listen to other people’s truths along the way.

There was no going back from this. There was no pretending this was normal. There was no denying to herself these feelings. There was no denying that everything led to Taylor.

SWEEET ADMISSION LETS GOOO

Taylor blinked, her heart beating fast and warm, even as confusion pushed in. “Then, why can’t we–” Brooke stared at her and the hurt in her eyes overshadowed everything Taylor was feeling. “I can’t be your layover in life, Taylor.”

omg my heart 🥹💔

“Because I’ve been one step away from being in love with you for my entire life!” The words broke from Brooke at the same time her tears spilled over, her voice so raw. “Always. There’s a part of me, deep inside, that’s just been there, hanging onto everything about you. Forever.”

there it is

“And, still, there’s this part of me, this part of me that wants you in every way, that always has since before I even understood what wanting was.”

omg omg omg

“To completely pull me in.” Brooke’s eyes bored into her from feet away. It felt both too far and not far enough, and Taylor didn’t– she didn’t know this feeling. “I finally know what it’s like to let myself love you. And when you leave, it’s going to fucking kill me. And I can’t do that over and over and over again, until this feeling dies a slow death. I can’t.”

omg the pain make it stop pls taylor why u gotta leave

“But I can’t stay here,” was all she could manage, her voice croaking out of her throat. “I didn’t ask you to,” Brooke spoke so quietly, her voice cracking with emotion at the end as she clenched her shaking hands into fists and then wrapped her arms tightly around herself again. Like if she didn’t have this, if she didn’t hold herself together, then she would crumble.

BRO IM CRUMBLING

Maybe not every single day was she radiating sunshine out of her ass, crazy kind of happy.

LOL

“The thing is – okay, the thing is that even though I’ve wanted you around more over the years, I’ve never been mad or upset whenever you chose not to be here, before, because… because I knew you believed in what you were doing. That you always felt like you were running toward a dream by conquering the globe. But it doesn’t feel like you’re my fearless big sister, chasing her dreams this time.” No. No, it didn’t feel like that to Taylor, either. “This time, it just feels like you’re running away.”

CLOCKED U BABE

“You aren’t even going to read it?” Taylor’s voice came from the back of the room that was shrouded in shadow.

AHHHHHH

Taylor might be an unstoppable force, but Brooke was an immovable object.

line goes so hard ngl

“How can I say that I really listen to the signs of the universe if I ignore this giant one?” she’d asked once Savannah had recovered.

reallll

Brooke looked adorably sheepish as she shifted back and forth on her feet. “I mean… I’ve never… I love you because of the way you are. Even if it kills me sometimes, I want it back,” Brooke huffed out. “I want you. The way you are. If we are going to do this, then I want – I want the world to be alive again.”

OMGMGMGMGMGM BROOOKE I LOVE YOU GAHHHHHH

“I can’t say that it’s always been you. I just know that it’s never been anybody else.”

wouldve had me on my knees

Brooke arched her eyebrow. “I could have said regards.”

BAHAHAHA