Climbing up on to the hospital bed next to Taylor, Travis wrapped an arm around her tiny frame and pulled her in close
"I know you love my attention baby but you can't keep ending up in here just to get it" he said jokingly "I can't afford the speeding fines I keep getting" he placed a kiss to her temple as they lay there together in brief but comfortable silence
"You can soooo afford them, you're loaded but you just happen to also be tight as fuck"
He chuckled against her head.
Just a few weeks ago Taylor had discovered that Travis had inherited a large sum of money when his father had passed away and although she was aware money didn't solve all of their problems it at least helped to know that financially at least they would be able to support their baby.
"Talk to me Tay, what's going on?" He tightened his grip around her and dropped another kiss onto her hair "Your test results showed severe dehydration and you haven't been eating... Is it the sickness? You can take stuff for that"
"Its my dad"
Travis sighed heavily.
Scott Swift was not happy about the situation Travis and Taylor had found themselves in, in fact when he first found out about the pregnancy, Travis had been on the receiving end of a pretty brutal fist to the face, he had assumed Taylors father would come around once he realised how happy and commited to doing the best for their child they were but in fact the opposite was true, he had grown more angry and more bitter as time went on.
It seemed like not a day went by when Taylor didn't call crying her heart out at something her father had said or done.
His relationship with his wife was suffering and the situation had become so strained that Austin had returned home from College to try and play peace keeper, so far it wasn't working
This was the third time in her 16 weeks of pregnancy that Taylor had collapsed and had to be brought to the hospital.
"What did he do this time?"
"He's just so angry Trav, every day he and Mom fight because of me. I'm so scared of what I'm going to say or do to upset him next that I have this constant ball of anxiety in my stomach. I can't eat, I can't drink, I just worry constantly"
"Taylor, baby, our tiny one needs to eat and drink and so do you. No offence but you look terrible right now"
The paleness of her face, the dark rings below her eyes and the sharpness of her jawline had frightened Travis more than the phonecall he had received earlier
Just after they found out about her pregnancy they had both decided that it was right for Travis to return to college to get his degree and hopefully secure a decent career so he could support his new family, neither had considered how difficult the separation would be or the dramatic collapses Taylor would suffer with Travis miles away and unable to help.
"I can't take it anymore" suddenly her eyes glistened with tears as she buried her face into his chest and began to quietly sob. "I can't take the way he looks at me or the things he says to me. I can't take the way he blames my mom and punishes her for trying to take care of me"
"Taylor, baby, please try and calm down this isn't good for our tiny one and it isn't good for you. Your dad is upset but he will come around, he loves you" he ran his hand over her hair and held her close attempting to provide some sort of comfort to her but he knew how hard this was for her.
The Swift family had always been close.
Taylor, the youngest child had always been 'daddys little girl' but the relationship had been shattered by the news of her pregnancy and Taylor had been left broken at a time she needed to be strong.
"I want to be with you Travis" she sobbed against his t-shirt which was now wet and clinging to his chest uncomfortably "I want it to just be you, me and our baby"
"And it will be, soon, but you have to finish school first, once you graduate it will all be different"
"If I graduate. Having a reputation as the school slut isn't exactly making it easy for me to concentrate in classes"
"I thought the harassment at school had died down"
She shook her head against him and he sighed.
Taylor didn't deserve this, the stress from her father was bad enough but once news had filtered through to school, the names and the taunting had begun.
Girls would laugh and point, the comments she was subjected to were shocking to say the least and it just piled pressure on pressure and looking at his tiny, fragile girlfriend he wasn't sure how much more of it she could take.
"I have an idea"
Taylors head snapped towards him, her red eyes wide and hopeful and he felt his heart bulging with love, she was beautiful, even at her most fragile and most vulnerable she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and she was his and she was carrying the most precious gift she could ever give to him. He was going to take care of both of them, no one was taking this from him.
No matter what Scott said, he was a good man and he was going to be an even better partner and father for his family
"Why don't you take some sick days from school, come and stay in the dorm with me. Let me take care of you, no fussing, no shouting, no stress, just a few days of you and me, what do you say?"
Throwing her arms around her boyfriend, Taylor couldn't hold back her tears
"It sounds perfect, you are perfect"
"Well I don't know about that" he said, a wide smile on his lips "And we have to tell your dad, in fact I will tell him, it's about time I let him know just how far I will go to protect my family"
Grabbing his face, Taylor crushed kiss after kiss into his lips.
God she loved him.
When he was away from her at school she felt so alone but when he was with her she was strong and assured, she knew without doubt that they were going to make their life as a family the most beautiful thing anyone had ever seen. Whether her father like it or not
