The name landed hard in Taylor’s chest, stealing away her breath like a physical blow.
For a split second, the room tilted. Not visibly or in a way that anyone else would notice, but enough that she felt it. A subtle shift, like the ground beneath her had moved half an inch to the left.
Her pulse surged, loud and immediate. Her vision sharpened unnaturally, every detail of the image snapping into focus whether she wanted it to or not. The slight curve of his smile. The way his head tilted just a fraction. Even the expression, casual and unguarded, felt like something she had seen before, too many times.
Her stomach turned violently. This isn’t real. The thought came quickly, desperate and thin.
People don’t just…
She stared harder, as if looking long enough would reveal the difference
