Guarding Her Heart | t.swift

Chapter 4: Meeting Changes

Taylor stood backstage, her heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and nerves. The murmur of the team working and rushing around filtered through the stadium.

She took a deep breath, looking at her shoes. This was her life—a whirlwind of rehearsals, recording sessions, and public appearances.

She felt the dreadful thoughts of her strained relationship threaten to take over. So she took a deep breath, adjusting the glittering microphone in her hand, and glanced at her mom, Andrea, who gave her a reassuring and equally proud nod.

"You okay, Taylor?" Andrea asked, her voice barely audible over her thoughts.

The taller blonde gave her best smile, settling into a familiar rhythm. "Always." She took her position.

"Taylor, you're on in thirty seconds," a stagehand called out after making sure the band was in place.

She nodded, giving herself a mental pep talk. Her light locks cascaded over her shoulders, and her blue eyes sparkled with determination.

She was ready. She was ready to get it right all in one go. After all, it had been done nearly thousands of times. She had nearly everything memorised, just a few pieces in the choreography that she hadn't gotten down to perfection yet.

With a final deep breath, she stepped onto the floor, ready not to miss one mark. She nodded at the voice in her in-earn, counting her down.

The stage manager counted down, and Taylor took her position. The lights dimmed, the opening chords of her intro began to play, and she steeled herself for a perfect rehearsal.

She made it through the entire rehearsal with a perfect score, and once finished, she turned to leave the stage, her heart still racing.

When the crews bustling subsided, reality came crashing back. Backstage, the exhaustion of months of gruelling rehearsals started to seep in.

She handed off her microphone and towel to a stagehand, then headed to her dressing room with her mother at her side.

"You were amazing out there, Taylor," Andrea gave her a side hug.

"Thanks, mom." She smiled at her mother before she slumped into the couch, kicking off her heels and wincing at the ache forming in her feet.

"Take a moment. You did amazing." Tree handed her a water bottle. "We have a few things to discuss when you're ready."

The singer took a long drink, savouring the cool liquid. "What's up? Taylor questioned as her mother sat down next to her mother, placing a hand on her knee.

The publicist hesitated, her expression serious. "We need to talk about the threats."

Taylor's smile faded. "Again? Wasn't this sorted by security?"

"Yes, but they're getting worse." Tree pulled out her phone and scrolled through several messages. "Look at these."

Taylor took the phone and scanned the contents. Each one was more disturbing than the last, filled with graphic language and dark promises. She felt a chill run down her spine.

"Colourful," she grimaced. "There's always someone who's in disagreement of what I do," Taylor knew no matter what she did, that it would never be enough for everyone.

"It doesn't matter, Taylor. Some people are just... sick. And with your visibility, you're an easy target." Tree sat down beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

The pop singer sighed, wiping sweat from her brow. "Can't it wait until tomorrow? I just want to enjoy tonight."

"Taylor, this is serious, and we need to treat it as such," Tree insisted as she turned to face her client. "We can't ignore it or push snooze on the topic."