In the Blink of an Eye

Chapter Fifteen

Continuation—December 31, 2020

Taylor placed the empty wine glass on the counter with a soft clink and met Travis's skeptical gaze.

"I don't believe that Taylor Swift showed up at my door simply because she wanted to meet me," he said, his voice laced with suspicion, his arms crossed as he leaned against the counter.

Her heart raced as she stared back at him, her thoughts scrambling for a response. Of course, he didn't believe her—she'd been so caught up in her nerves that her excuses were weak at best.

"You're right," she said softly, her voice barely audible. She glanced down at the counter, tracing the rim of the glass with her finger. "That's not the whole truth."

Travis raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "Okay," he said slowly. "Then what is the truth?"

Taylor hesitated, her fingers stilling as she felt his eyes on her. She didn't know how much she could reveal—or how much she even wanted to. Every word felt like stepping onto thin ice.

"I just..." she started, her voice faltering. "It's complicated."

Travis let out a soft laugh, though it held no humor. "Complicated?" he repeated, shaking his head. "Taylor, you showed up at my house out of nowhere, told me nothing that makes sense, and now you're saying it's complicated?"

She looked up at him, her eyes glistening with something between desperation and frustration. "I didn't come here to make things complicated for you," she said, her tone earnest. "I just... I needed to do this. For me."

Travis stared at her, his expression softening slightly, though confusion still lingered in his eyes. "For you?" he echoed.

"Yes," she said firmly, though her voice still trembled. "It doesn't make sense, I know. And I'm sorry for putting you in this position. But I had to see you, Travis."

Her words hung in the air, heavy and unresolved. Travis studied her for a moment, trying to piece together the puzzle she had brought into his life.

Finally, he exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. "Alright," he said quietly, his tone laced with cautious curiosity. "Then start from the beginning. What's really going on?"

Taylor swallowed hard, her pulse pounding in her ears. The beginning? Where was she supposed to start? The truth felt too overwhelming to lay out all at once.

"I'll tell you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "But you have to promise me something first."

Travis straightened slightly, his gaze narrowing. "What?"

She met his eyes, her own filled with an almost pleading intensity. "That you'll just listen."

He hesitated, searching her expression, before nodding. "Okay," he said. "I'll listen."

Taylor drew in a shaky breath, bracing herself for the words that would follow. For better or worse, there was no turning back now.

"I've met you before, Travis," she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

He tilts his head, frowning. "No, you haven't. Trust me, I'd remember meeting Taylor Swift."

Taylor's lips quirk into a fleeting smile, but it doesn't last. "You wouldn't remember," she says. "Because it hasn't happened yet."

Travis stared at her, his expression unreadable. "What are you even saying? That doesn't make any sense." His voice was quiet, but there was a sharp edge of disbelief in it.

Taylor looked at him, her expression both pained and desperate. "I'm not here to mess with your head, Travis. I swear. I'm here because... I didn't know what else to do. You don't remember because it hasn't happened yet—for you. But it has for me."

Travis frowned, his confusion deepening as he leaned against the counter, crossing his arms. "How does that even make sense? How can it have happened for you but not for me?"

"A few weeks ago, I woke up... in the future," she began, her voice trembling slightly.

Travis raised an eyebrow, skepticism written all over his face, but he didn't interrupt.

"In that future," Taylor continued, forcing herself to meet his gaze, "I was with you. We were together. But then, just as quickly, I woke up back here. Back in my time. And you—" she faltered, her voice catching. "You don't know me anymore. Because for you, none of it has happened yet."

Travis stared at her, his expression unreadable. For a moment, silence filled the room, the weight of her confession hanging heavy between them.

Travis blinked, processing her words, and then let out a soft, almost disbelieving laugh. "That's... a lot to take in." He ran a hand through his hair, clearly trying to wrap his mind around what she had just said. "So you're telling me... you've been to the future? And we were together, but I don't even know you yet?"

Taylor nodded slowly, her heart pounding in her chest. She could see the doubt in his eyes, the skepticism, but she needed him to understand.

"And what, you just—woke up? Like, it was a dream or something?" he asked, sounding almost too rational, like he was trying to convince himself this was all just some wild imagination.

Taylor sighed, rubbing her temples. "It wasn't a dream. It felt too real for that. I don't know how it happened, but I... I lived it. I saw it. And then it was gone, just like that. And now I'm here, trying to make sense of it."

Travis was quiet for a moment, clearly wrestling with what she had said. He wasn't sure if he believed it, but the sincerity in her eyes, the rawness in her voice, made him hesitate.

"So, what now?" he asked, his tone gentle but filled with uncertainty. "What happens next? You just... want to live out the future you saw?"

"I don't know what's supposed to happen," she admitted. "But I'm here because I need to find out."

He looked at her, then back at the floor, as if trying to find a way to make sense of it. The future, her, this... none of it added up. Yet, there was something about the way she was standing there—so sure, so vulnerable—that made him want to believe her.

A sharp ring from Travis's pocket shattered the silence. He pulled the phone out, and Taylor's eyes quickly flickered to the screen. The name Kayla was lit up in bold letters.

"I should go," Taylor said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. She turned to the door, her steps slow, weighted with an unspoken understanding.

Travis opened his mouth, as though to say something, but then paused. He closed his lips, the words trapped somewhere behind them.

"Can we talk later? Soon?" Taylor added, her gaze lingering on him for just a beat longer before she took a step back.

"Yeah," Travis nodded, his voice quieter than before. "Soon."

She gave him one last look, her eyes filled with something unspoken, something fragile, before turning and walking out the door. Travis watched her go, standing still, the quiet ringing louder in his chest than any phone call ever could.