Taylor walked beside Chris, trying to shake off the words she had overheard. She wanted to trust him, she really did, but a part of her couldn't help reading into every gesture.
Chris reached for his bag, but his elbow brushed against hers. She flinched, a sharp pang of doubt shooting through her chest. See? He's doing it on purpose, she thought, even though she knew logically it was probably an accident.
"Sorry," Chris said automatically, glancing at her with a sheepish grin. "Didn't mean to—"
Taylor cut him off with a forced laugh, trying to sound casual. "It's fine. Totally fine." But her eyes narrowed slightly. He knows I'm thinking about those girls. Maybe he's just teasing me.
They continued walking, and Chris laughed at something on his phone, leaning slightly in her direction to show her a message. Taylor froze, interpreting the gesture differently than intended. Why is he leaning in like that? Is he… trying to intimidate me?
Chris noticed her stiff posture and frowned. "Taylor… are you okay?"
She hesitated, biting her lip. "Yeah… yeah, I'm fine," she said quickly, trying to convince herself as much as him. But he's definitely pretending. That's exactly what they said.
Chris gave her a questioning look but didn't push further. He thought she was just tired or distracted, completely unaware that Taylor's mind was twisting his every innocent action into something malicious.
By the time they reached the campus steps, Taylor had convinced herself. Chris's smiles, his casual jokes, even his protective gestures from yesterday — everything suddenly seemed calculated. She wanted to scowl, to snap at him, but instead, she forced a polite nod.
Chris opened the door for her. "After you," he said warmly.
Taylor hesitated before stepping inside, her heart conflicted. I shouldn't mistrust him… but I can't shake the feeling. He's not the Chris I thought he was.
And as she walked ahead, Chris followed, completely unaware that one small, unintentional action had created a storm of doubt in her mind.