blurred lines in a forbidden fairytale

{24} quiet threats

I know about your little secret. If I were you, I'd watch out...

xoxo

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January 2017
Taylor's POV:

My stomach drops. Panic washes over me as I turn the envelope over, hoping for some hint of the sender, but it's blank. Who knows? How did they find out? My thoughts spiral as I imagine the worst.

Aurora's POV:

The second I see Taylor's message saying she's back in New York, I feel a burst of relief so strong it's like coming up for air after being underwater. I don't even think twice—I throw on my jacket and shoes and head straight for her apartment. The world outside is cold and gray, but I barely notice. She's back, and I'm finally going to see her.

When I reach her building, I almost run up the stairs. I knock, and then there she is, opening the door. But the smile I expected isn't there. Instead, she looks... troubled. Tired. And her eyes won't quite meet mine.

"Hey," I say softly, stepping in and wrapping my arms around her, pressing a kiss onto her cheek. She holds me, but her grip is stiff, and she pulls away too quickly.

"Hey," she replies, her voice quiet. She steps back, letting me inside, but something is wrong. I can feel it. There's a heaviness in the air I don't understand, a tension that wasn't there before.

I close the door behind me, looking at her carefully. "Taylor, what's going on? Are you okay?"

She glances at the small table by the door, where an open envelope and a single sheet of paper sit. Her gaze lingers there, and I follow it, my curiosity growing. She takes a breath, then reaches for the paper, picking it up and handing it to me with a look that makes my stomach twist.

I read the note, the words jumping out at me in stark, dark ink: "I know about your little secret. If I were you, I'd watch out...xoxo"

I feel the blood drain from my face, my hands starting to shake as I hold the paper. "Taylor... what... what is this?" My voice comes out in a whisper, barely audible, like I'm afraid saying it too loud will make it real.

She clenches her jaw, folding her arms tight across her chest. "It was shoved through under my door when I got back. No name, no return address. Just that."

I stare at the note, rereading it, my mind racing. Someone knows. Someone has seen us. And this isn't just an observation; it feels like a threat. "Do you... do you think someone's watching us? How... how could they know?"

She shakes her head, looking away. "I don't know. I thought we'd been careful." Her voice cracks, and she runs a hand through her hair, the tension in her posture almost unbearable to watch.

Her gaze meets mine, and there's fear there, deep and raw. She looks down at our hands, her fingers tracing over mine as though grounding herself. "Aurora... maybe we're being reckless," she whispers. "Maybe... maybe this was all a mistake."

My heart twists painfully, panic rising in my chest. "No. Taylor, please—don't say that. We knew this was a risk, and we took it because this—us—it matters. Don't let them scare us into giving this up."

She closes her eyes, breathing deeply, and I can see the war in her expression, the tug of fear and hope fighting inside her. When she opens her eyes, there's a flicker of determination, of something fierce. "I don't want to lose this, Aurora. I don't want to lose you."

A rush of relief fills me, and I squeeze her hand, nodding. "Then we won't. Whoever did this, whoever sent that note—they don't get to control us."

"Will you stay?" she whispers, her voice barely audible.