Daphne Lopez

[sawyer-bay]

Sawyer’s throat tightened, guilt twisting in his chest like a blade. He couldn't meet her eyes at first—he didn’t feel like he deserved to—but when she touched his cheek, he leaned into it like it was the only thing keeping him grounded. He took a breath, shaky, broken, and then signed back slowly. His hands trembled, but he forced the words out.

"I know. I hate myself for that. I was scared—selfish—and I told myself lies so I wouldn’t have to face the truth or risk losing you. And that’s on me. All of it is on me." His hands paused, eyes searching hers. There was pain in them, but no defense. No excuses. Only regret. "You have every right to be angry. At me. At the whole thing. And I don’t blame you. I should’ve been honest from the start. I should’ve given you the truth so you could choose what you wanted. I failed you. I failed us." He swallowed, the weight of everything almost too much to carry, but he kept going.

"You’re not wrong to question us. I hurt you, and that’s not something I can undo. But I love you, Daphne. Fuck, I love you so damn much. And I’ll do anything—everything—to earn your trust again. Even if it takes time. Even if you can't promise me anything right now. I just—" he paused, his hands clenched for a second before forcing them to still, "—I just want you to fight for us, too. Even a little. Even if you hate me right now. Can you do that?" he asked, eyes locked with hers. "Can you fight for us?" He hesitated, swallowing hard, and the next part came out like it physically hurt to say. "Or have I already lost you for good? Did I fuck everything up like I do for everything else?"

[daphnelolopezz]

Daphne hesitated a smidge, trying to get a read on her own feelings. "I could never hate you, Sawyer." She slowly signed, "I love you, that doesn't go away with one mistake...But I need to work out how I feel about...the whole thing, I kind of feel like..everyhing we've done and said is build on lies....if...If i think what we have can survive it, if its worth it if...You have not lost me...I don't think...I just need time," She tried to sign slowly, but it was hard because her mind was racing so fast. "But do me a favor Sawyer....don't...don't be too hard on yourself...telling the truth can be hard and sometimes..sometimes we turn into cowards...and thats okay, its human...You don't fuck things up, you just make choices and sometimes they turn out badly...i doesn say anyhing about you as a person...and I know you tend to...be too hard on yourself..so.. even if im not around... just...be kind to yourself, you don't only deserve that, you need it."

[sawyer-bay]

Sawyer’s heart twisted as he watched the tears spill down her face. Every part of him wanted to just take it all back—wanted to erase the pain he’d caused, but he knew it was too late for that. His stomach churned with guilt, anger, and a suffocating sense of responsibility. How could I have done this? He was furious with himself, with the choices he’d made, with the lies he’d told. But as much as he wanted to blame everything on Lacey or the mess that was his life, he knew it was his fault. He had let things get out of control, and now, here he was, trying to make things right, even though he didn’t know if it was possible anymore.

He saw her staring at his hands, the very hands that had betrayed her trust so completely. He could feel his own shame burning as her gaze flickered between his signs and her emotions. It was unreal—he had learned sign language for her, for this, for them, but now it felt like an anchor dragging him down. How could she ever trust him again? He’d broken her heart. The guilt that gnawed at him was unbearable. He wanted to scream at himself, how could I have done this to her?

When he paused, watching her face for any hint of what she was thinking, the silence between them felt suffocating. He knew what he was saying, knew how it sounded, but he had to get it out. He needed her to know how he felt, even if it meant hurting her even more. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her without her understanding the truth of it all. She deserved to know, even if he didn’t deserve her forgiveness.

He could see the conflict in her eyes. She didn’t know how to take this, didn’t know how to process everything. How could she? He couldn’t even explain it to himself.

When she pulled him into a hug, though, everything inside him stopped. Her warmth wrapped around him, and for a moment, he let himself fall into the comfort of it, even though he knew he didn’t deserve it. He didn’t sign anything back, couldn’t even bring himself to. He just held her tight, feeling like the biggest fool in the world. His hands shook slightly, and he closed his eyes, guilt and regret crashing through him in waves.

Sawyer’s breath hitched, the weight of his guilt crushing him. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, threatening to spill over, and before he could stop himself, he leaned his forehead against Daphne’s shoulder. His body shook with quiet sobs, the depth of his regret raw and overwhelming. He felt like he was drowning in it, suffocating under the enormity of the hurt he had caused.

[daphnelolopezz]

Daphne couldn't hear Sawyer crying, but she felt it. She saw and felt it so badly. They just kind of stood there hugging and crying for a while until Daphne pulled away to look at him. She looked at him and then signed, hoping he'd understand her. " I love you, but I don't know what to do with all of this... You didn't just lie to me. You took away my choice if I wanted to be in this situation or not...and that's even worse... I just...I don't know how to process this, Sawyer. I don't know how to react... I don't know how I feel now..about you..about us...myself... the fact that I'm mad at you, mad at her....mad you were hers first... I just...I just...Can't see how this is gonna work out..." She tried to explain, but how was she to explain something she couldn't understand herself? She put her hands on his cheek and stroked it softly. " You're not a bad person, I don't believe that, but this is really bad, and I just don't know what to do about it"

[laceyspencr]

lacey wouldn’t say she was hurt. in fact, she wouldn’t be able to tell anyone how she really felt, considering she had been cheating too. but this wasn’t about what she did—it was about what sawyer and the other girl were doing. she clapped her hands, her expression a mix of pure evil and cockiness. she wasn’t about to show how she really felt. no, she was going to be the bitch everyone already thought she was. she wasn’t stupid, and she wasn’t going to let them have this moment. if she was going to cry, if her voice was going to crack, then everyone in that room would feel just as humiliated as she did. as he stepped in front of her, lacey’s features sharpened. "oh, you’re protecting her now?" she scoffed. "am i crazy to you? is that it, sawyer? do you think i’d hurt her?" her eyes widened, words dripping with bitterness. she caught the way he tried to sign so the other girl could understand, and that alone told her enough—he had been seeing her long enough to learn that for her. at his accusation, lacey wiped away a fake tear. "oh, so it’s my fault? because i wasn’t here?" she scoffed. "wow, sawyer. hard to believe we were together for so long." she stepped closer, eyes piercing into his as she tapped his chest with her finger. "i wasn’t here because i was studying. don’t blame me for not being here when you haven’t set foot in my place for weeks—if not months." she didn’t know sign language, but she knew enough to catch that he had just apologized to her. "oh, you’re sorry?" she mocked. "oh, you’re sorry for being an asshole who cheats on his girlfriend? tell me, what did she know about it? did she know you were dating me before you two started seeing each other?" she shook her head, loving the scene she was making. lacey turned and walked toward one of their pictures. "or did she know—was that, like, some kink for you? knowing i was at home, trying to figure out how to make this work while you were out doing your dirty little things?" she was assuming, but she didn’t care. "come on, i want an answer," she said loudly, voice echoing through the room.

@daphnelolopezz @sawyer-bay

[sawyer-bay]

Sawyer stood there, silent, his heart pounding in his chest as Lacey’s words cut through him like a knife. He didn't want to look at her but knew he had too. But the anger in her eyes, the way her voice dripped with sarcasm, made him want to shrink into himself. He wasn’t proud of what he had done. But seeing Lacey like this, so calculated and cold, it felt like every single mistake he’d made over the past few months was being laid out for everyone to see. And yet, he couldn’t entirely blame her. He had been the one who made this mess, who had pushed her away and sought out someone else in the first place. Her words were sharp, aimed to wound, and they landed with devastating precision. The way she mocked his apology, the way she used the vulnerability he had foolishly exposed, it was like she knew exactly how to tear him apart. He wanted to defend himself, to tell her that it hadn’t been like that, that things had gotten complicated between them, but he couldn’t. He knew deep down that he wasn’t innocent. He couldn’t justify what he had done. But it was her next words, the way she cornered him with that biting question about whether the other girl knew, that made his stomach twist. "I am. I'm protecting her because she knew nothing about you and I." Lacey walked toward the picture of them on the wall, her steps deliberate. She was almost daring him to give an answer, and he knew she wouldn’t stop until he did. “Lacey…” Sawyer started, his voice quiet, barely above a whisper. He wasn’t even sure what he wanted to say. He wasn’t ready for this conversation, not like this. The room felt smaller, suffocating, and every part of him screamed to leave, to just run away from the mess he had created. But that wouldn’t solve anything. He had to face this. The sharpness of her eyes burned into him as she demanded an answer, and he took a deep breath. “No,” he said quietly, “she didn’t know. She didn’t know about you." Sawyer’s expression tightened, his frustration clear as he looked at her. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his emotions in check, but the words still came out sharp. “Lacey… who have you become?” His voice was quieter now, though still edged with disbelief. “I know I’m not perfect, I know I messed up, but what happened to you these last few months?” He stepped back slightly, his eyes searching hers. “This isn’t the girl I fell in love with at the beginning. We’ve changed, both of us. We’ve grown apart. I got numb, and I stopped trying, and I guess you did too.” There was a heaviness in his words, but he wasn’t trying to hurt her. He just wanted to understand where things had gone wrong. Sawyer’s voice softened, and for a moment, he seemed to falter, as if the weight of his own guilt was finally catching up with him. He looked at Lacey, his eyes filled with a mixture of regret and honesty. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I really am,” he said quietly, the words heavy with meaning. “I’ve had so much going on, and I know I’ve been a terrible person. But... Daphne, she was the only one in my life these last couple of weeks who was actually there for me. She... she made me feel like I was more than just these broken pieces. Like I was something more than the mess that I am.” He wiped a hand over his face, his voice breaking slightly. He wasn’t trying to justify his actions, but he needed her to understand the weight of everything he had been carrying.

@daphnelolopezz @laceyspencr

[daphnelolopezz]

Daphne was not only hurt, but she was getting mad. Mad at the way this chick was acting. Mad that Sawyer had lied to her, that she was stuck in the middle of some shit she had no idea had been happening. Some creepy unhappy lovetriangle shit. She tried to read Sawyers sign language but it was getting sloppy and him and that girl were so deep into it that eventually he stopped signing and it just looked like they were yelling and fighting, and Daphne had had enough. So when it seemed like they stopped noticing her, too stuck in their own disputal, because it seemed to have gone really personal, something just for the two of them, she snuck out and then ran for it and went home. She was not gonna get dragged into some freaking drama without even being asked, no way hosey.

@sawyer-bay

@laceyspencr

[sawyer-bay]

Sawyer watched Daphne carefully, his chest tightening as he saw the pain still in her eyes. He knew words wouldn’t do anything now—not after everything that had happened. So, he had to find another way to show her. He rubbed his hand gently against his heart, a silent sign of apology. The guilt was there, thick in his chest, and he hoped she could see that. He wanted her to know just how sorry he was for everything, even if he couldn’t find the exact words yet. He took a deep breath, steeling himself, and began to sign, his fingers moving with a hesitant but determined rhythm. Lacey was my girlfriend.

He paused, watching her face carefully, hoping she understood. But this wasn’t what mattered most right now. The words that came next—those were the ones that carried the real weight. "I was seeing you in secret...because I have feelings for you." Sawyer’s hands trembled slightly, the truth hanging heavy between them. He didn’t know how she would react, didn’t know what she would do with these words, but he had to tell her. He needed her to know the truth.

Sawyer paused after his last signs, his heart hammering in his chest. He couldn't hide it any longer, the truth spilling out in the trembling of his hands as they began to move again. I was sad in life... with my dad...The weight of his past settled into his shoulders, a heaviness that he carried with him every day. He wasn’t sure how to explain it without the words, but he needed Daphne to understand. He needed her to know why he had been so lost, so broken, and why her presence had meant everything. In my relationship, I felt numb... His hands moved slowly, as though he was pulling the words from somewhere deep inside, as if each one was a struggle to say aloud, even in sign language. But you... He hesitated, his hands trembling again. You made me feel something.

[daphnelolopezz]

There it came again, the sign language. She had barely been able to believe it when he signed before when that girl showed up. IT had been a little hard to understand it but...he was using sign language, he had learned sign language, for her, and he was using it...now... it felt unreal, no one had ever learned sign language for her... She watched his hands carefully and closely as a few tears rolled down her cheek, she couldn't decide if it was from hurt at the things he was telling her, or happiness and admiration that he was using sign language, FOR HER!

“LAcey was my Girlfriend” She got goosebumps all over her back and not in a good way. He had confirmed her worst fear, she was the other woman. She had been dating a guy that already had a girlfriend. He had been lying to her and fooling her and stringing her along the whole time, how could he? How could he be so cruel?It was still hard to believe that their whole relationship had been a lie. That the whole time he had a girlfriend he was cheating on with Daphne... she was the other girl, and she didn't even know it. She felt really foolish, stupid, naive...gullable..how did she not know? how did she not even suspect anything?

She had been staring at his hands, screaming in her mind as she watched them move. And then they paused…. he paused. He was looking at her face, watching her face for reaction,but she had no idea how to react.  And then he continued, confessing he had feelings for her. What was she supposed to do with that. Of course a part of her celebrated the words,SIGNED WORDS…. she had been waiting for him to say it for ages now, although he always showed it in the way he treated her, seeing it signed changed everything. But what was she to do with that now? He already had feelings for someone else. Could you have feelings for more then one person at once? Daphne didn’t buy it, she believed in soulmates, she believed in true love, kindred spirits, all the one in a million kind of things, she believed it so hard. So loving multiple people at once? Impossible! It was either her or that girl, Lacey. But he was being so genuine, he looked so nervous, so sincere…so …desperate. How was she to interpret that? Was he nervous because he was afraid she’d see right through his lies? Or because he was afraid of losing someone he truly cared about her? “In my relationship, I felt numb...“So…he wasn’t happy in his relationship? Her mind went spinning even faster and wilder than before. That doesn’t mean that its okay to cheat and lie…but…for some reason she sympathised with him a bit as he signed it, especially seeing the way he was expressing himself, his body language…this couldnt be just lies and made up could it? He seemed so sincere and desperate for her to listen. She knew him and his dad didn’t get along, that things were bad, that he hit him. Sawyer had opened up about that, in fact he opened up about a lot of things with her, and she who didnt like to talk about feelings, she always opened up to him, it wasn’t just easy, it was inexorable. That’s one of the reason she was so drawn to him, not only could she and wanted to talk to him about her feelings and open up, something she never wanted to with anyone except maybe possibly her sister, but she felt that him opening up to her as well made them connect on such a deep level…and now she wasn’t sure if all those feelings  had even been true…was he lying? It didnt feel like it but right now Daphne was doubting everything she had been so sure of before. She took a moment to breath and think of a response, but it was hard to think through all these emotions and she ended with welling up and pulling him into a warm tight hug without a single sign.

[sawyer-bay]

Sawyer blinked, clearly taken aback, as he quickly grabbed the pad again, his fingers hovering over the screen. He couldn't believe Daphne hadn't heard of The Notebook, especially when she had been the one to mention cheesy romantic movies. His mouth moved for a moment as if he were about to speak, but then he remembered, and he picked up the pen and started to write. “You’ve never heard of Noah and Allie? How do you not know about The Notebook Okay, this is non-negotiable—we need to watch it together. I’ll even put on subtitles so you can enjoy it too. You can’t go through life missing this cheesy romantic masterpiece.” He handed her the pad with a dramatic flair, his expression teasing but sincere, as if he were already imagining them sitting down to watch the movie together.

[daphnelolopezz]

Daphne looked at the pad and laughed out loud, something she didn't do often because she was very self-conscious about the sounds she made since she couldn't hear them herself. But with Sawyer, she was starting to feel comfortable to a level where she simply didn't even think about it. " You got it all wrong, I hardly know any Romantic movies, I'm a horror and psychological thriller fanatic" Daphne explained as she wrote on the pad and handed it to him. "But you know I'll watch anything with you, especially if you buy me ice cream" she added on the pad and batted her eyelashes.

[estelopez]

at the sudden blush creeping up her sister’s cheeks, este raised her eyebrows. "you're not denying it," she signed back, her expression sharp with curiosity. living in a deaf household didn’t mean the nights were quiet—if anything, it was the opposite. she heard things, and the blush on her sister’s face wasn’t helping. "oh, there’s someone," she insisted, her fingers moving with playful determination. but beneath the teasing, a flicker of concern crossed her face. her hands slowed slightly as she added, "you should look for someone who treats you right. someone you trust. if you were… hypothetically with someone, you’d keep that in mind, wouldn’t you?" her teasing faded into genuine worry—she hated the thought of her sister getting hurt. when her sister asked about the object in her hand, este’s smile returned, softer now. "because he gave it to me," she shrugged like it was no big deal, but the sparkle in her eyes said otherwise. "he made me promise to give it back the next time we saw each other." her lips curled into a soft, dreamy smile. "isn’t that romantic?"

[daphnelolopezz]

"That's pretty romantic, like a scene from a movie" Daphne agreed with her sister as she mentioned the hat. Then she decided to confess. "Okay, so there is someone.... and he might not be the stereotypical romantic charmer like Christian and he might come in my window and he might be hearing and not know sign language..but that doesn't mean he doesn't treat me right, cause he does, he is kind and caring and..he really gets me" Daphne explained with a soft smile, her fingers going very fast as she signed, something she did when she was really serious or passionate about something.

[daphnexlopez]

" A Real boy who asks for permission before doing something" Daphne teased. She didn't actually feel that way, she thought it was great Este found a gentleman who treated her with respect, she just wasn't into that kind of guys...not like that, she needed more thrill. A guy that always came through her window and never asked permission for anything, especially when it came to kissing her, someone like Sawyer. But she wasn't going to tell Este about him,it was a secret" Wait, so did you say yes? are you going to see him again?"

[estelopez]

"yes, that kind of guy," este confirmed, her tone dripping with exasperation as she rolled her eyes at daphne. she'd dated enough to know what she wanted—and what she didn't. bad boys who broke hearts? absolutely not. christian, on the other hand, was sweet, kind, and undeniably handsome. what more could she ask for? her lips curled into a teasing smirk as she tilted her head. "oh? are you finally going to tell me about the someone sneaking in here?" she teased, her voice lilting with mischief. "don’t forget, i can hear when someone walks in," she added, a playful reminder of the noise she’d picked up, though her tone was light, making it clear she wasn’t mocking her sister or her family’s deafness—just making a point. "and i gotta say, that's not exactly the most gentlemanly of them," she added with a wink. leaning back, she crossed her arms triumphantly. "and obviously, i’m seeing him again. i mean, i have his hat." her grin widened. "it’s practically a contract."

[daphnelolopezz]

Daphne realized what she had signed when Este started asking if she was sneaking someone in through her window and she started blushing a bit, Este was not supposed to know about that, although she figured, with Este hearing, and Daphne not knowing when she made noises, Este could very well already be aware that someone came in through her window most nights and /or days. "I'm not looking for a gentleman so that's fine" she signed before wanting to switch the focus off of her and back onto Este. " Wait, why do you have his hat?"

@estelopez

[laceyspencr]

the word to describe how she was feeling wasn’t guilty. she told herself she just wanted to check on him—to see how he was doing—after spending her entire afternoon at axel’s place. it wasn’t guilt. definitely not. she was about to open the door with the spare key sawyer had given her years ago when she froze. her breath caught in her throat as her eyes locked onto the sight in front of her—sawyer, lips pressed against someone else’s. her blood boiled. without thinking, she stormed inside, her footsteps loud as she swung open the door to sawyer’s room. the sound of her clapping hands filled the space, her eyes burning with pure bitterness. “oh wow, what a good show,” she mused, her voice dripping with venom. “so this is amazing—my boyfriend cheating, and here i was, coming to spend time with you." her words trembled on the edge of rage and heartbreak. she let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "am i the problem? oh no, you and that girl are," she spat, her voice cracking as a tear rolled down her cheek, betraying the anger she desperately clung to. @sawyer-bay @daphnexlopez

[daphnelolopezz]

Daphne was at Sawyer's place, he was home alone and they had taken the opportunity to watch a movie together on his laptop in his room, The Notebook as a matter of fact. The mood was romantic and in the middle of the movie, Sawyer leaned in and cupped her face planted an extra passionate kiss on her. She kissed back and was about to wrap her arms around his neck when some chick she had never seen before stormed into his room. Taken aback and frightened by a random person showing up at her boyfriend's house Daphne gets up, trying to read the lips of the girl who immediately started talking..fast...stormy...she looked mad..and it appeared she was most likely yealling.

@laceyspencr @sawyer-bay