chapter 96

Alec’s point of view. Killian and I stood frozen in place, just like Ryan. She had changed so much since we last saw her. Her once luscious hair, the pride of her waist-length locks, was now significantly darker and shorter, barely brushing her shoulders. Her ears were adorned with several piercings, giving her an edgy look we never expected. It had been two years since we had any official contact with her, but she had walked out of our lives nearly five years ago. "Hey, babe, I got the–" Taylor's voice interrupted as he appeared at the door. His brows furrowed, and he protectively placed a hand on Ryan's shoulder, drawing her closer to him. "Are you okay?" he asked, genuine concern etched across his face. "Ryan–" "Shut up and come in," Ryan ordered, leaving us no room to speak. Killian and I exchanged puzzled glances before we followed her inside. It felt surreal to see Taylor like this. He seemed to have cleaned up his act. The question hung in the air, though: Why was he so pro