Desired by All and He Threw Away 111

Chapter 111 

her smile grows but its tired worn down at the edges. “I just hate seeing you like this.” She studies my face with quiet intensity. “Every time someone posts something new, you tense up like you’re waiting for another hit.” “Kind of am,” I mutter. 

She nudges my knee lightly. “Then let’s do something different.something thats ours not theirs.” 

i look at her and for the first time in days the pressure behind my ribs eases. not gone but lighter. 

“You really want to learn football?” I ask. 

She raises a brow. “I mean… want is a strong word.but im willing to try.and if i accidentally get hit in the face with the ball i reserve the right to blame you entirely.” 

a breath of laughter escapes me.it feels strange in my throat like i havent done it in days. “Fair.“for a moment we fall into silence. Not tense. Not distant. Just thinking. 

I picture it.her in one of my jerseys hair pulled back cheeks flushed from running around.me explaining plays showing her how to grip the ball hearing her laugh when she fumbles it.The kind of natural rhythm you can’t script. 

Something warm settles in my chest. 

“It could work,” I say. “A live stream can’t be edited. People would see how we actually are together.” 

“That’s the point,” she says. “No filters. No cuts. Just us.” 

The words land deeper than she probably meant them to. Just us. 

i clear my throat trying to pull myself back into focus.” when would we do it?” 

She thinks for a moment, tapping her fingers again. “Soon. Before Dylan twists something else. Before this grows into something even uglier.” 

I nod slowly. “Alright.” 

Her shoulders relax, just a little. ” so… we are really doing this?” 

“we are doing this, “i say firmer this time. “Together.” 

a quiet energy shifts through the room. Something steadier.we are not cornered anymore.not frozen in place waiting for the next wave of chaos to hit.we are making a move. A real one. 

Taylor leans back against the couch tilting her head until it rests lightly on the cushion. “For the record, its been years i played.” 

(( 

you 

cant be that bad.” 

she shoots me a look. ” you have no idea.i once tripped over my own ankle during a three legged race.” 

“thats impressive. 

“dont encourage me.” 

i feel my mouth tug upward. ” you will be fine.i will teach you.” 

she studies me for a moment her expression gentler now her eyes warm in a way that makes my breath catch. “I 

1/3 

know.” 

those two words settle somewhere deep inside me., 

i shift closer not touching her but near enough to feel the faint warmth radiating from her skin. “hey, “i say quietly. ” we are going to get through this.” 

“( 

you really believe that?” she asks. 

i hold her gaze. “Yeah. I do.” 

Her shoulders ease.the sharpness in her breath softens.she nods once slow like shes letting herself believe it too. 

The city outside murmurs.the lights flicker across the glass.inside these walls the chaos seems distant for the first time all day., 

i reach for my phone again not to check the comments but to silence the flood.i turn it face down on the table.Taylor watches me eyes thoughtful. 

“No more reading for tonight?” she asks. 

“No.” My voice feels firmer. “tonight…i just want to focus on what we can actually control.” 

she nods. “Good.” 

we sit there a moment longer breathing the same steadying air letting the noise settle outside our world. 

Taylor shifts forward planting her elbows on her knees. “So. What exactly do you do to teach someone football on camera?” 

I grin before I can stop it. “Step one.convince them not to run away.“she nudges my shoulder with hers. ” you are hilarious.” 

“I try.” 

she rolls her eyes, but her smile gives her away.that smile stirs something warm and grounding in my chest anchoring me after a day spent unraveling. 

” 

we will figure it out, “i say. “The stream. The setup. All of it.” 

“We will,” she says. “And people will see the truth.” 

(( we will show them.” 

she nods again this time with more certainty. “Together.“the word echoes through me. 

i look at her really look and something inside me clicks back into place.for the first time since Dylan started twisting the narrative i feel connected to something stronger than the noise.stronger than the lies. 

This isn’t just damage control. It’s us deciding how our story gets told. On our terms.Taylor pushes herself up from the couch.“tomorrow,” she says. “lets do it tomorrow.” 

i stand too meeting her steady gaze. “Alright.“we share a look that feels like an agreement like a promise like the first step out of a storm.for the first time in days the air between us feels clear. 

Not perfect. 

Not fixed. 

2/3 

But aligned. 

we dont need more words. the decision hangs in the room with a quiet weight.tomorrow we face the world. 

Together. 

whapter 11