27. Taylor
CHAPTER 27
Taylor
I take a deep breath and curl my fingers around the warm coffee mug, letting the steam rise to my face as I gaze out the kitchen window. The morning light feels different today, softer somehow, or maybe that’s just how it feels when you wake up the day after getting engaged.
Engaged.
I still can’t believe it. The ring sits snugly on my finger, catching the light every now and then and sending shivers of excitement through me.
It’s surreal, really. The whole thing—Austin’s proposal last night, the quiet “yes” that slipped from my lips, and the way he wrapped me up in his arms like he never wanted to let go. I smile to myself, lost in the moment for just a second longer before the familiar ping from my phone pulls me back.
Without much thought, I unlock it, and the app I’d opened all those months ago is right there, waiting.
I hesitate.
It’s been so long since I scrolled through the comments, the videos, and the mess of emotions that brought Austin and me together. But something in me wants to know. Wants to see what people are saying now, after everything.
I take a sip of my coffee, the bitter warmth settling in my chest, and tap the app. My old post is still there, that video of Austin and I kissing back when everything was so confusing. It’s strange, the life it’s taken on without me. Thousands of likes and comments are still piling in. Videos that other people have stitched, debating the meaning of it all. I scroll through the comments while my heart does this weird little flip in my chest.
What do you think that kiss meant?
Are they together now or what?
We need answers!
That look she gave him…come on, they ’ re definitely a couple.
I laugh softly under my breath, shaking my head at how invested people are in something they aren’t even part of. My finger pauses on a comment thread that’s blown up overnight.
When are they going to give us an update?
We need to know the story!
Bet they ’ re married by now, and we don ’ t even know.
I can’t help it. The smile spreads across my face, and just as I’m about to close the app, I hear the sound of footsteps behind me. Austin is barefoot and wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants, his hair tousled from sleep. He moves toward me, the warmth of his presence instantly grounding me.
“Morning,” he murmurs, dropping a kiss on the top of my head as he slides onto the stool next to me.
“Morning,” I reply, leaning into him, my body automatically curling toward his. I rest my hand on his thigh, the simple touch enough to make me feel connected to him. Like we’ve always belonged here, in this moment.
He places a hand over mine, his thumb brushing my skin gently. “What’re you looking at?” he asks, his voice still thick with sleep but curious. I glance down at the screen before locking the phone.
“Just the app,” I say. “The one I posted on back when all this started.”
Austin raises an eyebrow, his lips curving into that familiar grin that’s both playful and knowing. “Still getting comments?”
“Oh yeah.” I laugh, shaking my head. “Apparently, everyone wants to know what happened with us. They’ve been following along, making up stories about how we kissed and what it all meant.”
“Yeah? What are they saying?”
I unlock the phone, tilt the screen, and let him see the comments for himself. He scrolls through them, shaking his head with amusement. “They’re really invested, huh?”
“They are,” I say softly. I feel his arm tighten around me as I nestle into his side, my hand resting on his thigh. His warmth, the solid weight of him next to me—it feels right. Like this is where I’ve always belonged.
For a moment, neither of us speaks. The comfortable silence stretches between us, filled with the soft rustling of the leaves outside and the distant hum of morning traffic. Then, out of nowhere, Austin breaks it.
“Did you ever think we’d be here?” His voice is quiet, contemplative.
I lift my head to look at him, meeting his gaze. His eyes are filled with that familiar mix of tenderness and curiosity, the way they always are when he’s asking me something important.
I smile, but it’s a little bittersweet. “No,” I admit, my fingers brushing lightly against his leg. “I didn’t let myself dream about it.”
He frowns slightly, turning his body toward me more. “Why not?”
I take a deep breath, my eyes dropping to where my hand rests on his thigh, the ring on my finger gleaming. “Because…I felt guilty. Loving you while I was still trying to love someone else—it wasn’t fair to you. Or to me.”
Austin’s brow furrows in understanding, and I know he’s thinking about Noah. He always knew, even when I tried to hide it from him.
“I never wanted to hurt him,” I continue, my voice barely above a whisper. “But the truth is, I was falling for you. I think I always was. And I just couldn’t let myself go there. Not when I was still holding on to something that wasn’t working.”
He doesn’t say anything right away. Instead, he reaches down and slides his hand beneath mine, his fingers threading through mine. I look up at him, our hands now joined on his leg, and he gives me that soft, understanding smile that makes my heart ache in the best way.
“You shouldn’t feel guilty for loving me,” he says quietly. “You deserve to be happy, Taylor. We both do.”
I swallow hard, emotions tightening in my chest. As I lean into him, resting my forehead against his shoulder, the scent of him calms the storm inside me. “I know,” I whisper. “And I am happy, Austin. I’m happier than I’ve ever been.”
His expression softens, and he pulls me closer, his arm wrapping around my shoulders as I rest my head against his chest. “You don’t have to feel guilty about it anymore. We’re here now.”
“I know,” I whisper, feeling the weight of all those years lift off my chest. “And I’m so glad we are.”
We sit in silence for a moment, just the two of us, the world outside moving at its usual pace while we’re suspended in this peaceful bubble. I close my eyes, letting the sound of his heartbeat steady me and feeling the warmth of his skin beneath my hand. This is what I’ve wanted for so long—this quiet certainty, this love that feels like home.
“What do you think about the future?” I ask softly, my fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on his thigh. “What do you want for us?”
Austin tilts his head back, staring up at the ceiling for a moment before he answers. “I want everything with you,” he says, his voice low and certain. “I want a family. I want kids running around, driving us crazy. I want us to build a life together, one that’s full of love and laughter and…us.”
I glance down at my hand on his leg, the diamond on my finger catching the light again. The ring is stunning and elegant, exactly what I would have chosen. More evidence that Austin doesn’t just know me, he knows me in ways nobody ever has or ever will.
“I love you,” I say quietly, the words spilling out without hesitation. I’ve said them before, but they feel different now. More real, more rooted.
“I love you too,” he replies, lifting our joined hands to kiss the back of mine. “More than anything.”
I pull out my phone and, without thinking too much about it, snap a quick picture of our hands resting on his leg, the engagement ring sparkling in the center of the frame. Austin chuckles, raising an eyebrow as I type on the screen.
“What are you doing?” he asks, his voice teasing.
“Posting it,” I say, grinning as I hit the button. “No caption. Just…this.”
I show him the screen, where the image is now out there for everyone to see. No explanation. No words needed. Just us.
Austin laughs, shaking his head in that endearing way he does. “You’re something else, you know that?”
I lean into him and rest my head against his shoulder again, feeling the way his body relaxes into mine. “So are you.”
He pulls me in closer, kissing me softly, and for the first time in a long time, everything feels exactly how it’s supposed to be. How it’s meant to be.
It’s risky to jump in with both feet, but it’s worth the risk. This moment, this love—us—it’s worth risking everything.