In the Blink of an Eye

Chapter Eleven

December 21, 2020

It had been a week since Joe left for London. A week since Taylor woke up back in her actual time.

She was unraveling, her thoughts spiraling into a chaos she couldn't quite contain. She tried convincing herself it was all a mistake, a blip, some strange anomaly. Maybe the life she had been shown wasn't real—just a cruel trick her mind had played on her.

But as much as she wanted to dismiss it, Taylor couldn't deny the ache in her chest. She missed him. She missed Travis. She missed the kind of love she didn't even know she was capable of experiencing until she was in the middle of it.

Taylor toyed with the idea of seeing Travis in the present, of finding him somehow, but every time she thought about it, dread pulled her back. She'd watched enough movies to know that meddling with timelines—if that's what this even was—could ruin everything.

And yet, she wondered if it was already ruined. Everything felt too quiet, too empty, too still.

Her thoughts drifted to Travis again. The way he looked at her, like she was the only thing that mattered. She didn't even realize she was crying until a tear slid down her cheek.

Was it possible to miss someone she'd known for such a short time? Someone who wasn't hers anymore—or maybe never was?

Before she could spiral any further, she heard the front door creak open. Her head snapped toward the sound, her heart quickening.

"Taylor?" A familiar voice called out, hesitant but steady.

"Abigail?" Taylor croaked, her voice cracking. She quickly wiped away her tears, trying to compose herself as her best friend came into view.

Abigail's brows furrowed the second she saw her. "What happened? You look like you've been crying for days."

Taylor let out a weak laugh, though it sounded more like a sob. "Because I have."

Abigail dropped her purse and crossed the room, sitting beside her on the couch. "Okay, spill. And don't even think about sugarcoating it."

Taylor hesitated, her fingers trembling. Could she tell Abigail? Would she even believe her?

"I don't know how to explain it," Taylor whispered, her voice barely audible.

Abigail tilted her head, her expression softening. "Start at the beginning. Whatever it is, we'll figure it out."

Taylor opened her mouth, ready to speak, but the words wouldn't come. How could she explain the impossible? How could she tell her best friend that, for three days, she had lived a completely different life with a man she loved more deeply than she ever thought possible—and now she was back here, where everything felt wrong?

She swallowed hard, her voice trembling as she finally said, "What if you woke up one day and realized your entire life wasn't what you thought it was? That maybe you were supposed to be somewhere else... with someone else?"

Abigail's eyes widened, confusion flickering across her face. "Taylor, what are you talking about?"

Taylor's lip quivered, and she shook her head. "I don't know anymore."

Abigail reached out, placing a hand on Taylor's trembling one. "You're scaring me. Just say it, Tay."

Taylor took a shaky breath, her chest tightening. "About a week ago, I woke up... but it wasn't here. It wasn't now. I was four years into the future."

Abigail blinked, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to process the words. "You... what? Taylor, that's—"

"Crazy, I know," Taylor interrupted, her voice cracking. "But it happened. I was there. I lived it. I was with someone... someone who wasn't Joe."

Abigail frowned, her confusion deepening. "Taylor, are you sure it wasn't a dream? Or... I don't know, some kind of stress episode? You've been under so much pressure lately."

Taylor shook her head vehemently, the tears spilling over again. "It wasn't a dream, Abigail. It was real. I was there. I can still feel it. Him." Her voice broke on the last word, and she buried her face in her hands.

Abigail hesitated, her brow furrowing as she tried to make sense of what Taylor was saying. "So... this guy. Travis, right? You said his name was Travis?"

Taylor lifted her head, startled. "How do you—"

"You said his name when you were crying earlier," Abigail explained gently. "You kept saying it. So, what happened with him?"

Taylor exhaled shakily, her gaze distant. "He loved me, Abigail. And I loved him. It felt so... easy. Like everything I've been missing, everything I've been fighting for, was right there with him. But then I woke up here, and he's gone. It's like he never even existed."

Abigail bit her lip, leaning back slightly. "Taylor... if this really happened, then maybe there's a reason you experienced it. Maybe it's a sign."

"A sign of what?" Taylor asked, her voice raw. "That I'm supposed to tear apart the life I've built here? That I should find him? What if I ruin everything chasing something that isn't real?"

Abigail's expression softened as she searched Taylor's face. "What if it is real? What if this is the universe trying to tell you something—even if it doesn't make sense right now?"

Taylor closed her eyes, the weight of Abigail's words settling over her. "I don't even know where to start."