Back To You

The clock forgot us (12)

The movie had been playing for what felt like hours, but really, we'd barely watched a thing. The silence between us was full — not awkward, but heavy with everything we weren't saying.

My head rested lightly on Tayler's shoulder. He shifted closer, sliding his arm around my waist like it was the most natural thing in the world. My heart picked up pace, but I didn't pull away.

Then the sound of the front door opening shattered the quiet.

The others were home.

I lifted my head and whispered, "Tayler... what's the clock?"

He glanced at the glowing screen on his phone. "Almost ten."

"Too late to sneak out."

He sighed. "We should just tell them."

"No," I said quickly, heart hammering. "Not tonight. Not like this."

Tayler's jaw tightened, but he nodded. "Okay."

We scrambled up, searching for a place to hide — somewhere they wouldn't find me, and that wouldn't make things worse.

"The closet's full of boxes," I whispered, panicked.

"Under the bed?"

"No way — they'll see the shape."

"Here." Tayler grabbed the blanket we'd thrown off the bed earlier.

I hesitated, but with no better option, I slid under the heavy fabric, curling up small on the mattress where Tayler had been lying just moments before.

His arm came around me again, pulling the blanket tighter like a shield.

My heart felt like it was about to burst through my ribs.

I tried to slow my breathing, to make myself disappear.

Footsteps approached the door, louder now.

The door opened, and voices spilled inside.

"Hey, man, we brought snacks," Nate's voice called out cheerfully.

Tayler's voice sounded weak, but convincing: "Thanks, I'm really not feeling great."

The others filed in—Olivia with a bag of chips, Azra carrying drinks, Markell joking about something I couldn't hear.

They settled into the room, filling it with noise and laughter, completely unaware of the secret tucked beneath the blanket.

I stayed still, pressed close to Tayler's side, feeling the steady thump of his heartbeat.

His arm tightened around me as if to say: I've got you.

For a while, I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, this was enough.

The clock might have forgotten us, but here — under the quiet blanket, wrapped up in Tayler's arms — time stood still.

And I didn't want it to move.

The room filled with the rustling of snack bags and clinking of soda cans.

Olivia flopped down on the floor near the door. "Okay, Tayler, seriously, you look way too fine to be sick. What's going on?"

He gave a weak cough and rubbed his forehead like it hurt. "I dunno, maybe it's a stomach bug or something."

Markell snorted. "You've been off all day. Nate was worried."

Tayler glanced at me under the blanket, and I squeezed his hand to remind him to keep it cool.

Azra settled in next to Olivia, pulling out her phone. "We should get him to watch something fun. That'll cheer you up."

"I'm just glad you're resting," Kelianne said, reaching into the snack bag.

I stayed quiet, barely breathing, trying not to move a muscle.

The blanket felt heavy but safe.

"Thanks, everyone," Tayler said softly, voice a little hoarse. "I appreciate you all checking in."

Nate nodded. "We'll check on you again later. You better get better soon, man."

The others got up to leave, still teasing him about being sick and the "group bonding" dinner.

Once the door clicked shut, the quiet returned.

Tayler exhaled deeply, his arm tightening around me under the blanket.

I looked up at him. "That was close."

He smiled faintly. "Yeah, but we made it."

I rested my head back against his chest.

"Maybe next time," he said quietly, "we'll just tell them."

I shook my head, feeling a mix of relief and nerves.

"Not yet," I said. "I'm not ready."

He kissed the top of my head.

"Okay," he whispered. "Whenever you are."

And for the first time in a long time, it felt like maybe we could start over — slow, steady, and without the weight of everything we'd left unsaid.