"Hey baby" I reach down and take her in my arms even though she's still fast asleep
"Morning" her voice is rough from sleep as her arms reach for my neck and pull me to her and I dread what is to come
"How are you?
"Sore and sleepy" she snuggles in tighter and I can't stop myself from moving my body over hers feeling more than a little bit protective
"What time's your hospital appointment?"
"10. Jake's taking me so you don't have to leave the studio"
"Have you Uh... been on Instagram or anything this morning?
"No, I never do, why?"
I feel my chest flood with dread, she hasn't read it... she doesn't know...
"Do you want to get up and I'll get us some breakfast?"
She sits up straight and stares me in the eyes
"No. Why? What's going on?"
"Nothing"
"You're lying. Don't do that to me"
I feel my cheeks blush with shame as I reach in to the pocket of my jeans and pull out my phone, my heart speeding up a little as I anticipate her reaction to the story I just read
"Here" I hand her my phone as I sit beside her on the bed and pull her in to my side. I watch as her eyes scan the text and then she pulls away from me sharply
"This is a lie"
"Of course"
"My dad sends money every month, he has done ever since I started earning it"
"These gossip sites will write anything" I'm saying it but I don't believe it, there are pictures and friends have spoken about the situation. To me it's real and when it comes to Scott Swift nothing would surprise me
"That's my mom" Taylor tells me softly "All this time I have been working for her, earning money so she and Austin would have a comfortable life. Doing everything my dad told me so my mom and my brother would be happy and safe. He told me they bought a new house, that Austin was at college"
"Taylor, these sites..."
"Why would he leave them with nothing? I make more money than I anyone could ever spend, why would he not send even a little bit back home?"
"I don't know" I try to pull her closer to me but she refuses instead she lies back down and twists onto her side. She's hurt and confused and she's rejecting me, shutting herself away in her own little world and that hurts
"I'll get breakfast" I tell her as I stand up
"I'm not hungry"
"You need to eat to keep your strength up and help your body to heal. I'll get breakfast" she doesn't argue anymore and I leave the room
*******************
I push the fruit Travis ordered around my plate , desperate for him to finish his breakfast and go but he seems determined to hang around, trying to engage me in mundane conversation completely oblivious to my lack of interest
"You should go" I suddenly blurt out as I pick up my plate and head to the sink
"You haven't eaten anything"
"I'm not in the mood"
"Taylor..."
"Leave it Travis" I slam down my plate and then head back to the guest bedroom throwing myself down on to the bed and immediately feeling guilty for the way I spoke to Travis but my head is a mess.
Every second I have been in Hollywood was for my family back home, slaving away, abiding by everyone's rules, living my life as everyone else wanted me to knowing I was doing it all for my mom and Austin that article has to be a lie, it can't be the truth.
"Jake's downstairs" Travis says from behind the door, obviously giving me some space and I appreciate it
"Okay" its all I can manage right now and I hear him moving around the apartment and then leaving
It's my first day as his official girlfriend, I should be waving him off, telling him to have a good day and kissing him goodbye but instead I'm weathering an emotional storm, everything I knew about my life seemingly lies and the terror that my mom and my brother are living in poverty, struggling to survive whilst I sit here in Travis' multi million dollar penthouse tormenting my mind
I need to know.
There's only one person that can tell me
The one person I never wanted to confront again
Grabbing my phone I unlock it and swipe to my contacts and press N. He answers almost immediately
"Taylor! Finally!"
"I need your help"
"Anything"
"I need to go home" I hear his hesitation "Travis' bodyguard is outside and I know there are cops outside the house but I have to see him"
"Leave it to me" he says finally "I'll sort it"
*please comment and vote
