Blurred lines in a forbidden fairytale [Taylor x OC]

{66} So, take a look what you've done...

Aurora's POV:

A heaviness settles in my chest, the weight of guilt and the sudden, jarring realization of what I've done—or, rather, what I haven't done. I never let myself fully choose Sina, not the way she deserved. I was selfish, trying to mold my feelings into something palatable, something that wouldn't hurt anyone. But love doesn't work like that, does it? It spills over no matter how carefully you try to contain it.

Taylor is still here, now sitting on the couch, Felicia tucked under her arm, playing absently with the fringe of her mom's sweater. The sight twists something in my chest. Taylor looks up at me then, her eyes heavy with exhaustion, and it's like we're both waiting for the other to speak.

"I didn't think she'd ever..." I trail off, my voice cracking.

Taylor's brows pull together, her lips pressing into a thin line before she glances down at Felicia. "Sweetheart, why don't you go draw something in the kitchen, huh?" she says softly, her tone gentle but strained. She grabs a piece of paper and some pens from the coffee table and hands them to the girl, after checking in with me whether it is okay to give those things to her.

Felicia looks up at her, clearly reluctant to leave, but she nods and climbs off the couch before heading to the kitchen.
As soon as she's out of earshot, Taylor shifts forward, resting her elbows on her knees and rubbing her hands together. "She knew," she says quietly.

I nod, my arms crossing instinctively over my chest. "She didn't say anything earlier."

"She didn't want to," Taylor murmurs. "Guess she tried to deny the truth."

The guilt claws at me, thick and unrelenting. "I never wanted to hurt her," I whisper.

Taylor laughs softly, but it's a bitter, hollow sound. "Funny thing about that—you don't have to want it for it to happen."

Her words hit me hard, and I take a hesitant step closer. "Tay, I'm sorry, honestly. For everything—for leaving, for the way I handled everything back then. I was young, and I was scared, and I—"

"But you really loved me," she interrupts, her voice shaking, her eyes locking onto mine. "Didn't you?"

I freeze, the question knocking the air from my lungs. "Of course I did," I manage to say, my voice breaking. "I still do. I never stopped."

Her lips part like she wants to say something, but instead, she leans back against the couch, exhaling slowly. "You should've done better."
The words are soft, but they sting.

"I know," I say, my voice barely audible. "I know I should've. And I regret it every single day. But I—"

Taylor lifts her hand, stopping me mid-sentence. "Don't," she whispers. "Don't say it again unless you mean it. I can't..." She swallows hard, her gaze falling to the floor."

The vulnerability in her voice shatters me, and I take another step closer, my chest tightening. "I mean it. I never not meant it," I say firmly, my voice steady despite the tears threatening to spill. "I never stopped loving you. Not for a second."

Her head snaps up, her eyes wide and glistening. For a long moment, we just stare at each other, the room so quiet I can hear my own heartbeat.
Taylor sighs deeply, her gaze dropping to the floor once more before flicking back to me. "I think we both need some time," she says, her voice now steadier but laced with exhaustion. "Time to figure out what we're doing—where we even stand—after everything that's happened."

The weight of her words presses against my chest, but I nod slowly, knowing she's right. As much as I want to fight against it, to tell her we can figure it all out together, I know we're standing on shaky ground. "You're probably right," I murmur. "But, Tay—"