the unsent project. | Taylor Swift, One-Shots

"you make the best out of it"

Unsent Message #4:

To Taylor:
Ppl hurt you and it
changes you but
you make the
best out of it

• • • • •

In the vibrant year of 2019, TIME Magazine extended an extraordinary invitation to Riley James—to pen a piece for their prestigious "The 100 Most Influential People" issue, spotlighting none other than Taylor Swift.

The prospect left Riley brimming with joy; after all, Riley and Taylor had been close friends for quite some time. They crossed paths a few years ago when Taylor auditioned for a movie Riley starred in. Though Taylor didn't land the role, their chemistry read sparked an instant friendship.

Taylor and Riley supported each other through thick and thin. When Taylor made the switch from country to pop. When Riley made the decision to stop acting in front of the camera and pursue writing and directing. When the entire world turned against Taylor and claimed she was a liar. They were always there for each other.

The thing is, Riley and Taylor had, what their mutual friends would describe as, a strange "will-they-won't-they" thing going on. Timing, however, seemed to be rooting against them.
When the universe finally started to nudge them towards the prospect of something more, fate intervened; the world completely shut down on Taylor, forcing her to go into hiding. And Riley decided what the blonde singer needed from her at the moment was a supporting friendship instead of a fresh romance.

So, a couple of years later here they were: Taylor's phoenix-like resurgence from the ashes of public scrutiny, her insanely successful stadium tour and the reclamation of the world's adoration. And Riley stayed.

Riley even stood by her side as Taylor entered and ended a new relationship, something that almost destroyed the former actress but, as always, she put on a brave face and stood by her friend's side cause she knew that was what Taylor needed.

• • • • •

The slightly chilly March night settled over New York City, wrapping Riley in a cocoon of focused creativity. She was hunched over her cluttered desk, pen in hand, peering through her glasses at the printed words, meticulously revising the movie script she'd been working on for what felt like ages now. The vibrant city hummed outside her window, but Riley was deep in her own world, immersed in the flow of words and ideas.

Her phone rang, disrupting the quiet concentration of her workspace. Glancing at the caller ID, she noticed it was Madison, her agent. The brunette hesitated; she usually avoided answering calls when she was entrenched in creative work, wary of breaking her rhythm. But Madison's name flashing on the screen sparked a sense of curiosity she couldn't ignore.

"Hey, Mads. What's up?" Riley answered, her tone a full of intrigue.

"Hey, Riley. Hope I'm not interrupting your creative flow," Madison began, her voice carrying a hint of excitement.

Riley chuckled, taking her glasses off and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Just knee-deep in revisions. You sound excited, what's going on?"

"Well, you know TIME Magazine, right?" Madison said, her tone carrying an air of significance.

An actual laugh escaped Riley's lips. "Is that a serious question?"