Blurred lines in a forbidden fairytale [Taylor x OC]

{51} I'm ash from your fire

Taylor's POV:

My breath catches in my throat. For a moment, I can't move, can't think. It feels like the air has been sucked out of the room, leaving me in a vacuum of disbelief.  What the hell is happening?

"No," I whisper, my voice barely audible. My hand trembles as I grab the paper again, clutching it tighter, reading the words over and over again, as if somehow they'll change if I stare hard enough. They don't.
My knees feel weak, and I sink into the nearest chair, the note still clutched in my hand. My mind races, grasping for answers that don't come. Why would she do this? Why didn't she say anything? Everything was fine just an hour ago—wasn't it?
The ache in my chest grows unbearable, and I feel like I might shatter into a million pieces. Felicia's laughter echoes faintly from down the hall, grounding me for a brief moment. I have to keep it together for her, but I can't stop the tears that spill down my cheeks.

I rush to pull out my phone, my hands shaking as I scroll to Aurora's contact. I press the call button and hold my breath, desperate to hear her voice, to hear her laugh and tell me this was all some sort of mistake.
The line doesn't even ring though. Instead, an automated voice fills my ear: "The number you are trying to reach is unavailable."

"Please. You got to be kidding me," I breathe, my voice cracking. I try again, but the result is the same.
Panic sets in. I switch to texting her, my fingers flying over the keyboard.

Me: Aurora, please. Where are you? What's going on? Talk to me.

When I hit send, an error message pops up immediately. My heart sinks as I realize what it means. She's blocked me - more like erased me.

"No," I whisper again, louder this time. "No, no, no."

I feel like I'm falling, like the world is tilting and I can't find my footing. My mind spins, replaying every moment we've shared, every word we've spoken, trying to find the point where everything went wrong. But there's nothing. No warning, no explanation.
Tears blur my vision as I grip the phone tightly in my hand. The woman who has been my anchor, my light, my everything, is gone. And she didn't even say goodbye to my face. In fact she didn't say a word.

"Taylor?"

Felicia's voice startles me, and I quickly shove the note into my pocket, wiping my tears hastily with the back of my hand. I turn toward her, forcing a smile even though my entire body feels like it's collapsing under the weight of grief.

"Yeah, sweetheart?" I manage, my voice trembling.

"Can we go outside now? I want to see the backyard!" she says, her eyes bright with excitement.

I nod, swallowing hard. "Of course. Let's go."

I follow her, my legs moving automatically while my heart feels like it's breaking into a million little pieces. Felicia skips ahead of me, her small feet barely touching the ground as she makes a beeline for the backyard. She flings the door open, sunlight pouring into the house as she steps outside. Her voice echoes as she takes it all in—the grass, the little flower beds, the space that's now hers to run around and play in.
But as I step onto the patio, my heart still heavy, Felicia turns to me, her brows furrowed.

"Where's Aurora?" she asks, her voice innocent and curious. "You said she'd be here waiting for us."

Her words feel like a knife twisting in my chest. My throat tightens, and for a moment, I can't speak. My mind races for an answer, for something to say that won't crush her spirit or betray my own devastation.

"She... she had something important come up," I manage, my voice softer than I intend. "But she'll come visit soon."

The words feel hollow, even as I say them. I don't know if I'm trying to reassure her or myself. I force a smile while my insides feel like they're crumbling, the entire kingdom I tried so hard to build burning to the ground, leaving nothing but ashes.