Page 87 of Worth the Risk

Taylor

No worries! I’ll head to the station now. See you later. Love you.

Becca catches me smiling at my phone. “Austin sexting you already?”

“Oh my god, no.” I laugh. “He was supposed to give me a ride, but something must’ve come up. I’ll just take the train.”

“Already in the ‘sorry, can’t make it’ phase, huh?” Becca teases with a wink. “Blowing you off to hang with his bros?”

“Oh please, he’s probably just caught up in work. You know how things are with the firm.”

“Uh-huh,” she says, clearly amused. “Better make sure you whip him into shape now.” She playfully smacks the back of her hand. “You have to train them quickly.”

I grin, not even trying to hide how happy I am. “Yeah, I think I’ll manage.”

We say our goodbyes, and I make my way toward the train station. The air is a little cooler this morning, the city already alive with people rushing past on their way to whatever Saturday plans they’ve made. I put on my headphones, scroll through some emails, and catch up on texts while I wait for the train.

When it finally arrives, I find a spot by the window and let my thoughts drift as the train rumbles to life. The city blurs past, and for a few minutes, I lose myself in the playlist Austin made for me last week. We’ve been trading playlists for months, evenbefore we officially started dating, and it’s become one of those little things I’ve come to love about us.

The train comes to a stop at the next station, and not long after, I hear the announcement that the doors are about to close. Out of the corner of my eye, I see someone sprint onto the train just as the doors start to slide shut. I glance up, not really paying attention—until I do a double take.

It’s Austin.

“What the—” I yank my headphones off, blinking as he spots me and starts walking over, that stupid, charming grin of his plastered across his face like he’d planned this all along.

CHAPTER 26

Austin

The moment the train platform comes into view, my heart picks up its pace, thudding harder with every passing second. It's the kind of nervous energy that twists in your stomach, and I can’t help but smile at how familiar the sensation is. It’s the same feeling I always get when I’m going to see Taylor.

The screeching sound of the train’s metal wheels grinding against the rails fills the air, immediately sending me back in time. Five years ago, I was standing on this same platform and watching the same train approach, but my life was in a very different place back then.

Everything had been a whirlwind, spiraling out of control with no clear direction other than a dream of starting my own firm, and then there she was—Taylor. A perfect stranger who walked into my life with sharp wit, a warm smile, and a presence that made me reconsider everything I thought I knew.

I can still picture the moment so vividly, as if no time has passed. The way the world seemed to slow down when I saw her, as if the universe wanted me to take note. And I did. I had no idea then, but that brief encounter would change the entire course of my life. I glance down at my pocket now, where thesmall velvet box sits, the ring inside like a weight pulling at my every thought. My fingers curl around it instinctively, and I take a deep breath.

It's time.

The train arrives with that familiar whoosh, the doors sliding open and inviting me inside. But I wait until I hear the familiar chime followed by the announcement, the one I almost missed all those years ago.

“Doors closing.”

The sound echoes in my ears as I step forward, my mind racing with the memory of how it all began. I jump inside, just missing being caught by the doors.

I scan the train car and see her—Taylor—standing in the exact same spot where we met five years ago. She hasn’t noticed me yet. Her head is tilted down as she scrolls through her phone, headphones in place, completely unaware that I’m here. My throat tightens, and for a second, I hesitate, just taking in this moment. I walk toward her, each step heavy with anticipation.

“Austin?” she says softly, her voice a mixture of confusion and warmth. “What are you doing here?”

I let out a small chuckle, leaning forward and extending my hand toward her. “Felt like taking a ride down memory lane. Care to join me?”

She smiles, and I can still see a touch of confusion on her face as she slips her hand into mine and stands beside me. The train hums beneath us, the rhythm so similar to the first day we met. I can’t help but feel the gravity of the moment pulling us closer to that shared history.

Five years ago, I stood next to Taylor on this very train, my arm brushing hers as the car swayed with the motion. She was looking out the window at the city passing by in a blur, and I remember thinking how beautiful she looked, even though she was completely focused on something else. Today, it’s different.Today, I can’t take my eyes off her. The sunlight streaming through the window catches the soft curls of her hair, framing her face in a way that makes her look like something out of a dream.

“Feels like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it?” she says, turning toward me with that smile—the one that has the power to send a rush of warmth straight through me. The kind of smile that can light up even the darkest day. My heart thuds so hard in my chest that I’m confident she can hear it.

I nod, returning her smile. “Yeah, it does. I still can't believe you talked to me. You looked so…focused.”

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