𝑫𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 - 𝑻𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒐𝒓 𝑺𝒘𝒊𝒇𝒕

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑆𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑛

Zoe and Carlos were seated comfortably in their first-class seats on the long flight to London.

Zoe leaned back in her seat, a slight smile on her face as she thought about her upcoming reunion with her sister. She looked over at Carlos, who was quietly fiddling with his phone.

Carlos looked up from his phone, sensing Zoe's gaze on him.

"What's got you smiling like that?"

Zoe's smile widened as she caught his curious glance. She shifted in her seat so she was facing him more comfortably.

"Me and taylor made it official last night."

A small, knowing smile tugged at Carlos' lips. He leaned a bit closer to her, a sparkle in his eyes.

"Oh, really? And by 'it' you mean... a relationship?"

Zoe nodded, her eyes lighting up slightly. Even saying the word 'relationship' gave her butterflies.

"Yeah, a relationship. Everything's official now. She's my girlfriend."

Carlos chuckled at her obvious excitement, clearly amused by how happy she seemed. He leaned back a bit in his seat, his tone light and teasing.

"Finally! It was about damn time, but be careful you don't do well or longterm in relationship tho."

Zoe rolled her eyes, not appreciating the subtle jab at her past relationship history. She shot a glare at Carlos, pretending to be annoyed but failing to hide her amusement.

"Gee, thanks for the words of wisdom. Don't you worry about me. This time it's different."

Carlos shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips. He knew he was pushing her buttons a bit, but he couldn't resist teasing her.

"That's what you say every time. Remember how many times you said that about your ex? And how did that end up?"

Zoe scowled at him, recalling the painful memory of her past relationship. She knew Carlos had a point, but she refused to let him get to her.

"You're seriously bringing that up right now? This is different, I promise. Taylor and I have a solid foundation, we trust each other. No cheating, no lies, no broken promises."

Carlos chuckled, holding up his hands in mock surrender.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop. I'm just saying, I want you to be happy. And I've seen you hurt before. Just don't get too caught up in the honeymoon phase and ignore the warning signs."

Zoe softened a bit, appreciating the underlying concern in his words. She knew he just wanted the best for her, even if he had a strange way of showing it. She nodded, her tone earnest.

"I know, and I appreciate the concern. I'm not going into this blindly. I've learned from my past mistakes, and so has Taylor. We're both committed to making this work."

Zoe gathered her bags from the luggage carousel.

She glanced over at Carlos, who was scrolling through his phone with a bored expression.

"Come on, let's go get something to eat."

Carlos looked up from his phone, his eyes lighting up at the mention of food. He grabbed his bag and fell into step beside her.

"Finally, I'm starving. Where are we going?"

Zoe and Carlos made their way through the familiar streets of their hometown, the sounds and sights bringing back a flood of memories.

"I can't believe we're back here," *Zoe mused, her eyes scanning the familiar shops and buildings.

"It feels like it's been ages."