Match Maker | T. Swift x OC

Chapter Three

June, 2016

By the time Mallory's taxi has arrived at her sister's house, she was exhausted. It was near-midnight when her flight had landed in Heathrow, and it took two hours to get to the house. Mallory knocked on the door, greeted by Inez with a smile.

"Hey," The redhead murmured, pulling the younger in for a hug. Mallory melted into the hug, it had been two long years. They hadn't seen each other for birthdays or holidays as Mallory wasn't welcome in their childhood home and, more often than not, they just called each other rather than hopping on a plane.

Mallory sighed, "Hey."

"She's sleeping. Has been since we got here," Inez locked the door behind the two, "Don't mention the bruising, she'll breakdown," She warned.

Mallory hummed, walking to the kitchen. They sat opposite each other at Inez's round table, in silence. The only sound was the kettle that the older sibling had put on hissing as the water boiled. Inez only had decaffeinated tea, since she was pregnant, much to Mallory's dismay.

She'd rather drink coffee than decaffeinated tea.

Inez was the first to speak up, "He disowned her," She said tentatively, watching Mallory's face contort. Confusion, anger, relief, frustration, "She won't tell me why, maybe she'll tell you."

Mallory scoffed.

"I've been speaking to James and Elizabeth, to see if we can have one of us adopt her, but-"

"I'll do it," Mallory said finally, "I'll adopt August, and she can come live with me in America." It wasn't a question or request, it was a statement. A finality. August was going to live in New York with Mallory.

"You're really shit at whispering," A voice mumbled from the steps. Mallory and Inez turned to see a tired August limping to the kettle.

Mallory frowned at her black eye and busted lip. Not to mention the bruises on her collarbone that snuck out past her pyjama top. Mallory's heart broke for her all over again. The two watched as she made herself a tea, groaning in pain when some water splashed onto an open wound.

"Here," Mallory stood up instantly, manoeuvring around August. She took the mug and made the tea for the fifteen year old, who grimaced, "Straw?"

A metal straw was placed in the mug so that August could drink it. She then looked up at her sisters, "God, I'm injured, not helpless. But if you want to fluff up my pillows and clip my toenails, that's fine, too."

Mallory cracked a smile at her, "How do you feel about coming to NYC with me for a while?"

August looked up skeptically, "Are you sure? You're not... you're not joking this time?"

"I wasn't joking last time, Auggie," Mallory frowned, holding her hand. August flinched at the contact, but prayed that Mallory didn't notice it. The older of the two just ignored it, "You know how our father is, he wouldn't let me, but now I can."

August hummed, trying to ignore any more talk of Gregory Williams, the man she no longer had any relations to, none but a last name, "Do you still live with Valentine?" She asked, smiling when Mallory nodded, "He's cool. When do we go?" August looked interested when Mallory's phone went off, "Who's Taylor Smith?"

"Hm?"

Taylor Smith:
Is everything okay?
You didn't show up to our Itty Bitty Kitty Committee play date
Did I scare you away?
I'm sorry
I should probably stop texting you
Yeah sorry

Mallory frowned guiltily at the messages. She had genuinely forgotten about the cat play date. Everything had been too overwhelming for her to cancel on Taylor.