blurred lines in a forbidden fairytale

{13} a delicate distraction

Taylor's POV:

Aurora brushes past Travis, her expression blank, her eyes deliberately avoiding mine. My heart is still racing, my skin tingling from the kiss we shared. The pull between us is undeniable, but the danger of it—how wrong it is—sits heavy in my stomach. I reach for a stack of papers, pretending to organize them, trying to get my head together before Travis sees anything in my face.

"What was that about?" he asks, his voice casual but with a hint of something sharper underneath.

I take a breath, forcing myself to keep my voice steady. "Oh, nothing. Just a student asking about an assignment."

He studies me for a moment, like he's trying to figure out if I'm telling the truth. I keep my expression neutral, hoping he doesn't notice how my hands shake as I shuffle the papers. "Right. An assignment."

My smile is tight, and I don't meet his eyes. "Yeah. Anyway, what's up?"

He pauses, leaning against my desk, his eyes searching mine. "I just wanted to check on you. After everything....how are you holding up?"

I feel a pang of guilt, knowing he's genuinely concerned. Travis is a good guy—caring, attentive. The kind of person I should be with. Someone who wouldn't put me in a complicated, dangerous situation like the one I've somehow found myself in. I should appreciate that more, still, deep down, I feel like we could never be more than friends.

"I'm okay," I lie, giving him a small smile. "It's just been a lot, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." He hesitates, and I can tell he's working up to something. There's that nervousness again, the same look he's had in his eyes for weeks. "I was thinking... maybe we could get out of here. Together. Grab dinner or something?"

I'm caught off guard by the invitation. It's not like I didn't see it coming—Travis has always been around, always trying to check in despite my best attempts to avoid him but there's something different about it this time. The directness of it, the sincerity in his eyes. And all I can think about is how different it felt when Aurora looked at me earlier, the fire between us, the way it felt so wrong and so right all at once.

But I can't have that. I shouldn't even be thinking about it. Travis is safe. Travis is right. Maybe going to dinner will change the way I feel about him and might as well distract me from the brunette student I can't seem to get out of my head.

"Dinner sounds nice," I say before I can second-guess myself. "It might be good to get out, clear my head."

His face lights up, and I feel a flicker of relief. It's the right choice—Travis is exactly who I need right now. Someone to ground me, someone to remind me of what's real and what isn't. Maybe this is what I need to get my mind off of Aurora, to remind myself of the lines I can't cross.

"Great," he says, his smile widening. "How about tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night works," I reply, and I force myself to match his smile. "Thanks for asking."

"Of course." He straightens up, looking more confident than I've seen him in a while. "I'll text you the details."

He lingers for a moment, his gaze lingering on mine before he finally leaves. The door clicks shut behind him, and I let out a shaky breath. I should feel better—lighter, even—knowing I've made the right decision. But all I can think about is the way my heart didn't race when he asked me out, the way it only really comes alive when I'm with her.
I slump into my chair, staring blankly at the stack of papers in front of me. I'm trying to do the right thing, to follow the path that makes sense, but every time I close my eyes, all I see is Aurora's face. All I feel is the heat of her kiss.