unfinished echoes - taylor swift

03

Daisy sat there, staring at her screen, waiting for the familiar "seen" notification, heart hammering as she imagined Taylor on the other end. She told herself not to expect anything, but the small hope-that maybe Taylor would reply with something more than indifference-refused to let go.

Finally, her phone buzzed, and Daisy's eyes widened as she read the message: "Thanks. Good luck with the film."

Simple. Polite. Completely indifferent. She felt a pang of disappointment, almost as if she'd walked straight into the wall she should've seen coming. She closed her phone with a sigh, leaning back in her chair, the glow of excitement from their filming replaced by a cold sense of reality. She had put herself out there, and once again, Taylor had shown her the distance that still lay between them.

Meanwhile, back in her hotel suite, Taylor had just finished a glass of wine, her mind wandering in a haze of memories and suppressed feelings. She set her glass down, exhaling as she reached for her phone, only to see Daisy's message pop up. Her heart stumbled, caught off-guard by the sudden reminder of her, of everything she'd tried to bury.

The words themselves-simple and casual-seemed innocent, yet they stirred something within her she'd been trying to ignore. She read them again, her fingers poised over the keyboard, an internal war brewing as she crafted a response that would show none of what she was truly feeling. A cold, calculated response-distant, professional. She typed, "Thanks. Good luck with the film," and hit send before she could second-guess it.

As the message sent, she closed her eyes, willing herself to forget the thrill that had accompanied that single notification. But Daisy's face lingered in her mind, and the restlessness she'd tried to calm with wine and distractions only grew stronger, her self-control fraying at the edges.

The next morning, Taylor awoke to a barrage of notifications on her phone. Headlines and posts from every major outlet buzzed with excitement: "Daisy Cox Stars in Groundbreaking New Romance" ... "Love Bite Trailer Takes Social Media by Storm." She swiped through them absently, feeling a pang of irritation. Of course, the trailer was a hit-it had been all over her feed before she'd even had a chance to ignore it.

She bit her lip, hovering over a link to the trailer, telling herself she didn't need to watch it. It was just a film, just another role. But curiosity-or something deeper-compelled her to press play, and as the video loaded, she felt her pulse quicken.

The trailer began with scenes of Daisy's character, her gaze intense, filled with a kind of vulnerability that felt both foreign and familiar. Then came Ivy, matching Daisy's presence with equal magnetism. As the trailer continued, tension between their characters crackled, building toward a crescendo of longing that climaxed with a passionate kiss.

Taylor's jaw clenched as she watched them, a mix of emotions stirring within her. Daisy was captivating, fearless, completely unguarded with Ivy in a way Taylor had never seen before. She felt an unexpected pang of jealousy rise-at Ivy, at the closeness between her and Daisy, and even at the public ease Daisy seemed to have embraced since coming out.

It was irrational, she knew that. But she couldn't ignore the annoyance simmering beneath the surface as the trailer ended, Daisy's face lingering in a close-up that cut to black.

Taylor tossed her phone onto the bed, frustrated by her own reaction. She wanted to believe she was unbothered-that she could look at Daisy and Ivy without feeling anything-but watching them together brought everything rushing back in sharp, unwelcome waves.

Leaning back against the plush hotel headboard, she poured herself another glass of wine, attempting to brush off the feelings that the trailer had unearthed. She told herself it was jealousy of Daisy's freedom, the ease with which she seemed to embrace who she was now, but deep down she knew it was more than that.