In the Blink of an Eye

Chapter Eighteen

Continuation—July 6, 2022

Dancing felt dangerous, like stepping into something both familiar and foreign. Travis's hands rested lightly on her lower back, warm and steady, but it felt like a memory she couldn't fully place. They moved together, and for a moment, it was as if the world around them didn't exist.

"So, am I allowed to ask you out on a date?" Travis's voice was soft, almost lost in the hum of the music, but Taylor heard it clearly.

She tilted her head up, their faces close. "Is that what you want?" she whispered back, the question hanging between them like an invitation or a challenge.

His lips curled into a small smile. "It's hard to deny what's obviously happening, isn't it?" He shifted slightly, swaying them both slowly, finding a rhythm without any words.

"I don't want to force anything," Taylor replied quietly, her head resting against his chest. The weight of everything—the confusion, the uncertainty, the pull between them—pressed heavily on her. She closed her eyes, letting herself feel his warmth, the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear.

"Who said we'd be forcing anything?" Travis's voice was a little teasing, but there was a tenderness in his touch as he squeezed her side, urging her to let go just a little. His brow raised playfully as he pulled her closer, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Taylor didn't answer right away. Instead, she let the music wash over her, letting the familiar melody fill the space where her thoughts should have been. For just a moment, she allowed herself to feel something she hadn't felt in a long time—peace. The chaos of the past felt distant, as if it could wait.

But Travis wasn't done. He leaned his head back slightly, lifting his gaze to meet hers, searching for something deeper. "Do you think I can't fall in love with you?" His words were soft, serious, but the question was loaded with vulnerability. It felt like a risk, something rare for him.

Taylor's heart stuttered in her chest. She pulled away slightly, not enough to break the connection, but just enough to see him fully. His question lingered between them, as impossible to answer as it was to ignore.

She met his eyes, seeing the sincerity there, the same sincerity she had seen in glimpses before—the kind that made her wonder if he was right all along. If this thing between them wasn't as impossible as she had convinced herself it was.

The music swirled around them, the lyrics of the song wrapping them in a nostalgic embrace. She could almost feel the weight of their shared history, the two versions of them—one from the past and one in the present—crashing together. A future she hadn't been ready for, yet couldn't seem to ignore.

Travis's grip on her tightened just slightly, a silent plea for her to meet him halfway. His eyes searched hers, waiting for some kind of answer, some kind of sign that she was ready to take that step with him, no matter how uncertain the ground might feel beneath their feet.

For a moment, Taylor said nothing. She just let herself be, letting the softness of his touch ground her, letting the music do the talking when her words wouldn't come. It felt too heavy to rush, too important to turn away from.

"I'm scared," she finally admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. The vulnerability in her words made her heart ache, but it was the truth. She was scared. Scared of what this meant. Scared of what it would mean if she let herself fall, if she let herself believe that something—someone—could be real enough to fill the emptiness she had been carrying for so long.

Travis didn't pull away. He didn't make her feel foolish for her fear. Instead, he held her tighter, his voice low and steady as he spoke.

"Scared doesn't mean we can't try," he murmured, his lips brushing the top of her head. "It just means we're being honest."

Taylor let his words sink in, letting them settle into the space between them. Maybe he was right. Maybe it wasn't about knowing everything, about having all the answers. Maybe it was just about stepping forward, one uncertain step at a time.

She drew in a deep breath, her hand finding its way to his chest, where she could feel his heart beating just as fast as hers. "Okay," she whispered. "We try."

A smile tugged at the corner of Travis's mouth, and he leaned down to kiss her forehead, a soft promise in the gesture. "That's all I'm asking."

They stayed like that for a moment, caught in the quiet of the night, the music fading into the background as their world seemed to shrink into the space they shared. Maybe it wasn't perfect, but it was something. And sometimes, that was enough.

As the song drew to a close, Travis pulled back slightly, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders. "We still have time," he said, his voice steady, filled with a quiet certainty.

Taylor nodded, her fingers tracing the edge of his sleeve as the weight of the decision settled within her. They had time. Maybe not forever, but enough to see where this would go. Enough to take a chance on what could be.

And for the first time in a long time, she didn't feel like running away.