In the Blink of an Eye

Chapter Seventeen

July 6, 2022

Taylor scanned the stack of papers Tree had handed her: tour concepts, interview schedules, charity event plans. The sheer weight of it all felt suffocating.

Her calendar had been this way for two years—back-to-back commitments, an endless cycle of places to be and faces to smile at. Yet some mornings, she'd wake up with an inexplicable sense of displacement, as though her life wasn't quite her own anymore.

She hadn't seen Travis since that night. The night she had stood in his kitchen, foolishly believing that everything could somehow fall back into place. That she could explain the unexplainable and expect it to make sense.

But reality had its own agenda. Reality was Taylor burying herself in work, drowning in it, using the chaos to smother the memories of a life she'd only tasted for a fleeting moment. The blip in time. The version of herself she had come to know and love, only to have it ripped away.

And with it, she'd lost Joe.

She had stopped trying to understand it—how her world had twisted and unraveled in the span of days. Now, all she had left was this: her career, her public image, her work. It became her armor, a carefully crafted shield to keep the world—and herself—from looking too closely.

Taylor had always kept parts of herself hidden, but now it was different. She kept everything hidden. It was the only way she knew how to survive.

An hour later, Taylor sat in a chair surrounded by the organized chaos of her team. The hum of activity filled the room: her hair stylist meticulously straightened her golden locks, while someone else leaned in, carefully applying her signature red lipstick with steady precision.

"Five minutes!" Tree called out sharply, her voice cutting through the noise like a conductor keeping time.

Taylor nodded, barely processing the countdown. Everything blurred together—voices, hands, instructions. By the time she finally slid into the car, it was thirty minutes past when she was supposed to leave. Late, as always.

But lateness had its perks. She skipped the red carpet entirely, avoiding the flashing cameras and the endless barrage of shouted questions. Drew opened the car door, and she stepped out into the controlled chaos of fans and paparazzi. Screams erupted, but Taylor kept her gaze fixed forward, her face unreadable as Drew ushered her through the fray and into the building.

Inside, the atmosphere shifted—warmer, more intimate, yet still buzzing with energy. She was led to her table, where conversations were already in full swing. The din of laughter and chatter created a comforting wall of sound.

Taylor slipped into her seat, her movements practiced and smooth. She let out a quiet breath, finally feeling like she could settle—until her eyes drifted across the room.

And then she saw him.

Her heart dropped.

Travis.

He was here.

The world around her seemed to fade, the noise receding into a dull hum as her focus narrowed entirely on him. He hadn't seen her yet, but the sight of him—his posture, his presence—sent a wave of emotions crashing over her, leaving her momentarily paralyzed.

For the first time in a long time, Taylor felt truly out of place.

The moment Travis's gaze fell on her, Taylor felt a wave of nausea wash over her, cold and sharp like a punch to the gut. She didn't think. She just moved.

Standing abruptly, she darted towards the bathroom, weaving through the crowd with barely an excuse. Drew and Tree's voices blurred behind her, lost in the noise as she slipped inside and locked the door with trembling fingers.