almost | taylor swift au

chapter 16

Jett's face softens. "Thank you for apologizing."

Taylor stares at him, his face falling to a blank expression. She sort of thought he'd apologize too. But he goes silent after saying that.

"I had a really good time, though," Taylor finally says. "Gracie is great."

"I'm sure she is," he tells her, "but you shouldn't have fought with me like you did. I was trying to keep you safe. I'm just glad that you are back safely and everything went well."

Taylor sighs. She doesn't really know what to say to that.

"I was worried about you, when I saw you weren't back yet on Find My Friends. I stayed up super late, waiting for you to be safe at the hotel, and you never came back."

"Gracie's hotel was closer so I just crashed with her. I didn't know you would've wanted me to tell you."

"Just because we had a fight doesn't mean that we aren't still in a relationship, T. I care about you. A lot." He snakes his arm around her waist and pulls her body into his, then placing a small kiss on the top of her head. "But it's okay. You know that now. You won't make that mistake again."

Taylor nods. "I won't. I'm sorry."

"Now, since we're all good... what do you say we go out and find some food before heading over to the venue? I've got to sound check in two hours, and you can work on setting up your stand so that you can come back and hang out with me in the dressing room before the show... we can get a little privacy there." He winks at her and she swallows. If he's insinuating what she thinks... that's risky. People come in and out of dressing rooms for hours before a show. Buddies, technicians, employees of the venue.

On top of that, they've only just made things right again after having a pretty serious row. She isn't sure that's what she really wants to do tonight, sneaking around before a concert.

She doesn't think before the words tumble out of her mouth. Risky words, ones that could very easily piss Jett off again all over again.

"Can't you just appreciate me for... myself for once, instead of for my body?"

Taylor feels Jett's whole body tense up. "Why would you say that?"

"I just feel like... all you ever want to do is have sex with me. You know that I'm more than that... that we are more than that. Or we are supposed to be."

A look of guilt instantly crosses his face. "What? Sweetie, I don't want you to think that. I just thought... I mean, that's what we did at the beginning of all of this. We'd sneak around and we were just so happy then."

She can't deny that. The supply closet in Atlanta somehow felt like the most romantic place in the world, second only to his hotel room in Miami, on the night that she lost her virginity. She doesn't think she'll ever forget that place... it was right on the beach, and she could hear the waves of the ocean rolling in as she woke up the next morning.

Maybe Jett really was trying to be romantic, to recreate the high stakes that they used to have, back when it was all risky business. Before they had a label on it all.

"Oh..." she whispers, suddenly feeling awful. "I'm sorry. I didn't even think of that."

"It was really special time for us, wasn't it?" he asks her, stroking her hair. "Come on, live a little. Just this once?"

"Okay," Taylor smiles up at him. "Fine. Let's do it."

Jett fist pumps in the air, causing Taylor to giggle a little bit. "I'll meet you in the lobby in ten minutes. I've just gotta go grab some stuff in my room first."