"What happens when the person you thought you could trust turns into a full blown nightmare... Will you ever be able to heal from the damage? Will life ever be the same again? Well, does love even exist?"
Taylor and Joe have been in a relationship f...
Two weeks have passed since the Eras Tour announcement and Hailey has been diving in and out of various infections, starting with a fever and a runny nose turning into an otitis, forcing me to consult her pediatrician for a prescription for some antibiotics. My daughters condition has forced me to stay home around the clock, the baby even refusing Eliza in every way.
With a crying girl in my arms, I pull out the phone with my free hand, that just started ringing in my pocket.
"Hey Tree, what's up?" I greet the publicist. "Shhh it's okay, princess, try to close your eyes." I whisper in the next breath to my daughter.
"The US dates of your tour are sold out, completely!" The redhead squeaks through the phone, resulting in my jaw dropping.
"W-what d-do you mean?! Sold out?! The tickets just went online this morning..." I remind her, trying to wrap my head around the news. "That must be some kind of mistake." I play it down.
"It's not a mistake. It's the truth, I swear. People were literally fighting to get their hands on some tickets."
"Wow I-I can't believe this is happening..." I feel a warm glow spread through me, a profound sense of accomplishment that makes all the hard work worth it. Amidst the pride a feeling of relief floods me and the doubt, that once ruled within me, slowly vanishes.
"Let it sink in. However, you should really start rehearsing soon, time's short."
"I know." I sigh. "Hailey is still dealing with that ear infection though, it's quite persistent. I'll let you know as soon as I'm able to leave her with Eliza."
"Alright, talk to you soon."
"Bye" I end the call. "Oh come on, Hails. How do you have any breath left for crying? I just got the greatest news..." I slightly roll my eyes, since I know that she's being extra dramatic today. It can't possibly hurt that bad anymore after everything I've been giving her.
"Eliza!" I call out. Even if Hailey refuses to be left alone with the babysitter at the moment, I still like to have her around sometimes, because I'm never fully off work, there's always something to do and sometimes that's just not possible with a baby in your arms.
"Yes?" She shouts back before entering the living room. "What do you need?"
"I'm gonna try to put her down for a nap. As soon as she sleeps, I need to head to the studio to pick up some stuff I left there, which means I'd appreciate it if you could keep an eye on her while she is sleeping. I promise I'll be quick." I explain to the young woman, who immediately nods understandingly.
"Let's just hope she doesn't wake up while you're away. I'm pretty out these days, you're all she wants." Eliza expresses with a smirk on her face.
"I know but even if she wakes up, she'll survive. She's in good hands when she is with you and that's all that matters to me." I offer the brunette a smile.
"Thank you for your trust, Taylor."
"Well, you earned it."
An hour filled with gentle humming, slow rocking and some comforting cuddles finally sends the baby into a peaceful slumber, allowing me to take off to the studio. After Jim pulled up in front of the house, I climb into the backseat of the vehicle.
"No security today?" The driver asks with a raised brow I can clearly see through the rearview mirror.
"I just wanna get some stuff from the studio in town, I'll be fine, besides you're here." I shrug my shoulders with a confident smile on my lips .
"Yeah...last time I checked I was a personal driver, not a security guard..." Jim points out sarcastically.
"I'm counting on you to protect me anyway. Now let's go before the little devil awakes." I joke, but he listens and starts the engine, driving off to the studio as requested.
Of course the entrance of the building is swamped with paparazzi and fans, as always. Sometimes I think they're living right there on the streets, just waiting to take a good picture of me, because nobody could've known I'd come to the studio today and still they're here, cameras ready. Deciding on some causal waves and half-smiles, I quickly rush past the people and into the safety of the building, having instructed Jim to just wait, since I'll only be a few minutes. I grab the notes I've been meaning to get and some new guitar picks, having run out of them yesterday when the last one snapped. As fast as I was in I'm out again, sighing in relief as soon as I'm in the black car, behind tinted windows.
"Got everything. Home please." I let him know and 10 minutes later I'm entering the front door of my house, just to find a desperate Eliza trying to calm a screaming Hailey down.
"That's a warm welcome..." I laugh, take off my coat, put away what I'm carrying in my hands and approach the two.
"She woke up as soon as the door fell shut and has been crying since." Eliza explains while Hailey immediately tries to stretch her arms out and into my direction indicating for me to take her.
"Oh baby, I'm here, you don't need to be so hard on Eliza though..." I mumble and take her into my own arms, where she instantly stops crying, cuddling her head into my shoulder, her puffy eyes slowly fluttering shut.
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"Please don't take it personal, El. You know she loves you, she's just sick and that's when she gets extra dramatic." I whisper to the babysitter not wanting to disturb the sleep my daughter is drifting into.
"I know, it's okay." The woman assures and I give her arm a gentle squeeze before carrying Hailey upstairs.
-
The girl finally knocked out in her room, I send Eliza home and gather some ingredients from the fridge, wanting to cook something as I haven't done that in a while. Even if food is still a sensitive topic for me and I'm still struggling with regular meals, I'm trying my best to push the voices in my head aside and listen to what my body actually needs. It's an incredibly hard thing to do and it takes everything in me to just push through. I mean having Hailey has made it a little easier to deal with the destructive thoughts, or well pushed them farther into the back of my mind.
30 minutes later I'm sitting at the dining table, a plate full of pasta carbonara in front of me. However I catch myself stalling when I reach for my phone instead of the fork. As I randomly open the first social media app my fingers find, a wave of nausea crashes over me. Tears sting in my eyes and a painful lump forms in my throat as I stare at the phone in my hands, trying to comprehend what just popped up on my feed while all the process shatters...
A/N: Thought it was time for another cliffhanger :)
