band-aids don't fix bullet holes

{69} possession

TW: nothing specific

Tree's POV:

I've spent half the night searching for Taylor but no sign of her and I'm slowly starting to get worried. It's like she was swallowed by earth or somehow turned invisible. I got the whole team involved and even thought about calling the police but I'm still clinging to the feeling that there has to be a simple reason for her disappearance, that it's just some silly inconvenience.

Despite the whole turmoil, I'm working on keeping everything under covers, trying to hide it from the public. Of course everybody noticed Taylor getting up from her seat and never returning, the VMAs are live after all, but I made a statement saying she went home because she wasn't feeling well and I hope that will do.

"Anything?" I ask a bunch of security guards when they enter my office, heads low. I decided to head back to New York, since it's only a 30-minute drive away and stay there in my office for the night because I couldn't just go home and sleep like nothing happened, plus I got more resources here than at home.

"Nothing." One of them mumbles. "We've run out of ideas of where to look for her."

I let out a quiet sigh.

"Just keep searching, I'll call some of her friends. Maybe they know something." My voice comes out shaky.
They all nod and disappear back into the cold night.

I work myself through some of Taylor's friends, but as expected none of them know anything, not even Blake.
Maybe she's with that footballer? The one the singer claims to just be friends with. I actually remember him, he wanted to hand her that friendship bracelet at the concert in Kansas, but I turned him down. He must also be the guy Taylor talked about at the afterparty the same day, when she was absolutely wasted. That makes sense. I don't remember his name though.

I work my magic and a few minutes and some calls later I'm holding his phone number in my hands, hesitating to actually call.

"This is about Taylor." I tell myself and dial the number and to my surprise someone immediately picks up.

"Hello?" A male voice mutters. I've obviously just woken him up.

"Hi, this is Tree Paine. I'm Taylor Swift's publicist. Are you that footballer she's been hanging out with?" I ask carefully.

"Uh...yeah, I guess. I'm Travis Kelce. What do you need?"

"Is Taylor with you?" I blurt out.

"No? Why would she be with me? She was at the VMAs tonight."

I roll my eyes.

"I know that. I was with her, but she is gone now." I let him know, rubbing my temples in frustration.

"Gone? What do you mean?" I can hear panic in his voice.

"She left her seat half way through the event and never came back. We can't find her, we've looked everywhere, so I thought I'd check if by any chance she's with you but apparently she's not. When was the last time you heard from her?" I want to know.

"Yesterday, around 2pm I think, just a text tho. You know what, I'll get ready and catch the next plane to New York." Travis informs and I frown.

"Why would you do that?"

"Well, my girlfriend is missing, so I'm coming."

My eyes widen in shock and my jaw drops to the floor as I sit up straighter in my seat.

"Excuse me? Your girlfriend?"

A minute of silence fills the line.

"Oh..." The footballer hums anxiously. "You didn't know..."