blurred lines in a forbidden fairytale

{43} daylight

Felicia's POV:

The pancakes are warm in my hands as I carry the plate over to the table. They smell sweet, like syrup and sugar, and my stomach growls even though I try to hide it. Aurora sets the last plate down and plops into a chair across from me, smiling like she just won a contest.

"Dig in, kiddo," she says, grinning.

I glance at Taylor, who's sitting next to me. She's already got her fork in hand, but she's not eating. She's just kind of... pushing her pancake pieces around her plate.

I look back at my own plate. The pancake is golden, fluffy, with a perfect drizzle of syrup. I cut a small bite, stick it with my fork, and pop it into my mouth.

It's warm and soft and so good. I feel my face light up, and I take another bite right away. "This is really good," I mumble, my mouth still half-full.

Aurora laughs, leaning her elbows on the table. "Told you. Pancake experts over here." She points at me and then at herself.

"I didn't think they'd taste like this," I say, cutting another piece. "They're kinda... sweet. And buttery. And—"

"Delicious?" Aurora finishes, winking.

I nod, smiling. "Yeah."

For a second, it feels normal—just sitting here, eating pancakes, laughing a little. I can almost forget everything else. Almost.

That's when I notice Taylor again. She still hasn't taken a bite. Her fork is just resting on her plate, and she's staring at her food like it's the last thing she wants to touch.

"Taylor?" I say quietly.

Her head snaps up like she wasn't expecting me to say anything. "Hmm?"

"Aren't you gonna eat?"

Aurora looks over, her smile fading a little. "Yeah, you okay?"

Taylor blinks a few times, then forces a smile that doesn't look real. "I'm fine," she says, picking up her fork and cutting a piece of pancake. But she doesn't eat it. She just sets the fork back down.

"You don't like pancakes?" I ask, my voice small.

Taylor looks at me, her eyes softening, and shakes her head. "I like them," she says quietly. "I'm just... not that hungry."

Her words make my chest feel weird—tight, like it's hard to breathe for a second. I want to ask her why, but I don't know if I should.
Aurora clears her throat, breaking the silence. "You sure?" she asks, her voice a little firmer now. "I mean, they're pretty amazing. Pancake experts, remember?"

Taylor smiles again, but it still doesn't reach her eyes. "I'm sure. You two enjoy, though. They're perfect."

I look down at my plate, suddenly not as hungry anymore. The pancake tastes different now, like it's not as sweet as it was before.

Aurora tries to keep the mood light, telling some funny story about her school, but I can't stop glancing at Taylor. She's sitting there, quiet, and I can tell something's wrong. I just don't know what.

For a moment, I think about reaching over, about grabbing her hand or saying something. But I don't. Instead, I cut another bite of pancake and chew it slowly, wondering if Taylor's sad because of me—and if there's anything I can do to make it better.

Taylor's POV:

The pancake on my plate stares up at me, golden and fluffy, shining under the drizzle of syrup. It smells amazing, the kind of smell that should make my mouth water. But it doesn't. My stomach churns instead, a knot tightening every time I try to lift my fork.
Felicia is eating, though, and that's what matters. Her face lights up with every bite, and she's actually smiling. Laughing, even, as Aurora teases her about becoming a "pancake queen."
I try to join in. I smile when Felicia looks at me, nodding when she tells me how good they taste. But my fork feels like it weighs a hundred pounds, and my chest feels even heavier.