The Seven Husbands of Taylor Swift

23

TAYLOR SWIFT
Adam and I had been playing our parts in the PR charade for so long, it felt like second nature. But by May of 2017, the cracks began to show. The most devastating part? Adam fell in love.

"I thought you said there were no emotional attachments," Alice probes, her eyes searching mine.

I can't help but smirk. "When did I say it was with each other?"

It was a rare occurrence for Adam to slink into the living room with that defeated look on his face. We didn't fight often, but when we did, that was his tell—shame written all over him. It was pitiful, really.

"What did you do?" I asked, setting my book down with a sigh, already bracing myself.

He hesitated before blurting out, "I kissed someone...I kissed another girl last night."

I didn't react immediately, just studied him. "Were you in public? Was anyone else there?"

"No," he mumbled. "We were in her apartment. No one else was around. You're my wife, so I thought you should know."

"Adam, you don't need my permission to kiss other girls," I replied, picking my book back up. "Just keep it quiet, and don't let anyone else find out."

He lingered, clearly unsettled. "I've been hanging out with her as a friend for a while..."

I barely looked up from my book. "Adam, I don't care. We both know our relationship is unconventional."

"Just listen for two seconds!" he snapped, his frustration catching me off guard.

I sighed, snapping my book shut with a thud. "Fine, fine! What is it?"

"It wasn't just a kiss," he admitted, his voice softer, almost guilty.

I leaned back, trying to gauge his seriousness. "What base?"

He rolled his eyes at my bluntness. "Really?"

"Hey, I just want to know how serious this is," I defended.

"Third," he said, almost under his breath.

I couldn't help but sigh, rubbing my temples as I processed what this meant. "You told her we're a PR stunt, didn't you?"

"I know. I'm sorry," he said, the weight of his confession heavy in the room.

I got up, needing to move, to think. Pacing lightly, I tried to find the right words. "It's over. Our relationship."

"This isn't over. It doesn't have to be," Adam insisted, desperation creeping into his voice.

"No, it's okay. It's a good thing," I said, surprising myself with how much I meant it. "You wouldn't have told her about us if you weren't ready to move on to something real."

He sighed, the guilt chipping away at his resolve. "Taylor..."

"Hey, it's okay," I reassured him, forcing a smile. "I'll be fine."

Adam looked at me, his eyes full of regret, but something else too—relief, maybe. It was as if a weight had been lifted from him, but he didn't know whether to be grateful or ashamed of it.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, his voice tentative, almost as if he didn't believe my calm.

I nodded, still pacing, trying to shake off the strange mix of emotions stirring inside me. "Yeah, I'm sure. We both knew this couldn't last forever. It was just a matter of time before one of us wanted more."

He didn't respond right away, just watched me, probably waiting for the other shoe to drop. I could feel his eyes on me as I crossed the room, feeling oddly detached from the situation. This wasn't the first time I'd had to let go of someone, and it wouldn't be the last. But this time, it was different. There was no heartbreak, no anger—just a quiet acceptance.