You sat across from Taylor, watching her as she absentmindedly strummed her guitar. There was something different in her eyes tonight, a heaviness that you could feel in the air between you. She had been quieter lately, more distant, and you knew why. You knew about Joe, about the way things had been unraveling between them. You had seen it long before she admitted it to you, the way her smile didn’t reach her eyes anymore, the way her laugh seemed more forced.

And it killed you to watch her go through it, to see her with someone who didn’t treat her the way she deserved.

“You’re thinking about him again, aren’t you?” You asked softly, not wanting to break the fragile moment but needing to say something.

She gave a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “It’s not that simple to not to.”

“Why not?” You asked, leaning forward, your heart pounding in your chest. “Why isn’t it that simple? Taylor, you’re incredible. Anyone would be lucky to have you.”

Her eyes met yours, and for a moment, there was something unreadable in them, something that made your breath catch in your throat. She looked at you like she was seeing you for the first time, really seeing you.

Taylor’s gaze faltered, and she looked away, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her sweater. “It’s not that he’s a bad person,” she said, almost like she was trying to convince herself.

The silence that followed felt heavy, the weight of your words hanging in the air. You hadn’t planned to say it, but you couldn’t hold back anymore. You couldn’t keep watching her get hurt by someone who didn’t treat her the way she deserved.

“Taylor,” You started, your voice shaking slightly. “I could treat you better.”

She froze, her eyes snapping back to yours, wide with surprise. “What?”

Taylor stared at you, her expression unreadable. For a moment, you worried you had crossed a line, that maybe you had said too much. But then she looked away, her fingers nervously playing with the strings of her guitar.