isn't it? [taylor swift]

chapter 35

Taylor wasn't sure where she was going wrong. 

It wasn't like she'd had much choice about spending her fourth of July in Turks and Caicos with Joe and his family - they had to keep up their PR relationship and that did mean doing things that benefited Joe's career too. She hadn't been delighted when Tree had broken the news to her but it was a small sacrifice to make to keep him happy and on board.

Had it sucked seeing her friends posting photos of their July adventure on their close friends' stories? Yup. Had it sucked even more that Leia hadn't answered any of her text messages since the paparazzi photos were published on the morning of the 4th? Even more so.

As the private jet soared through the sky, Taylor gazed out the window, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. The pristine beaches of Turks and Caicos faded into the distance, replaced by an endless expanse of fluffy white clouds. She absentmindedly fiddled with the gold charm on her necklace, the 'L' that looked close enough to a 'J' reminding her exactly why she was in this predicament in the first place.

She replayed the events of the past few days, trying to pinpoint where things had gone awry. The forced smiles for the cameras, the awkward small talk with Joe's family, the constant ache in her chest whenever she thought of Leia - it all blurred together in a haze of discomfort and longing.

Tree, who was sitting with her laptop open on the table across from her, looked up and furrowed her eyebrows a little as she noticed the down mood that Taylor was in. She hated seeing Taylor annoyed or frustrated but seeing her genuinely sad was worse.

The redhead watched as Taylor turned over her phone that had been lying face down, scrolling until her thumb was hovering over Leia's name in her contacts. No new messages. Taylor sighed, running a hand through her tousled blonde waves. She typed out a message, deleted it, then typed again. Delete. Type. Delete.

Two days without replying to her messages wasn't normal for Leia, but Taylor knew she likely would have been recovering from a hangover on the fifth and then she had also been travelling today ahead of their first Ohio show tomorrow. She was sure Leia was busy, or maybe her phone was dead or maybe...

"Is Leia still ignoring you?"

Trust Tree to always say it how it was.

Taylor's head snapped up, her blue eyes meeting Tree's knowing gaze. She let out a soft sigh, shoulders slumping slightly.

"I wouldn't say ignoring," Taylor replied, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "She's probably just busy with tour prep. You know how hectic things get before a show."

Tree raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of sympathy and skepticism. "Honey, I've seen you two message each other in the middle of costume changes. If she wanted to reply, she would have by now."

Taylor felt a pang in her chest at Tree's words. Deep down, she knew her publicist was right, but admitting it felt like accepting defeat. She glanced back at her phone, thumb hovering over Leia's name once more.

"I don't understand," Taylor said, her voice barely above a whisper. "We were fine before I left. Better than fine, actually. And now... nothing. Well, I guess we had that small argument about me coming here but I didn't think it would have hurt her this much."

Tree's expression softened. She reached across the table, gently squeezing Taylor's hand.

"Maybe I should call her?" Taylor mused aloud, more to herself than to Tree.

Tree closed her laptop with a soft click, leaning forward in her seat. 

"Before you do that, let's think this through. Speaking as a friend now, and not your publicist. What exactly are you going to say?"