Greatest In the League

come back...be here

I need you guys to pretend that Travis wasn't there in the Paris tour or anything!

Taylors' POV

Standing at the window of my hotel room, the view of the city below was stunning. Paris in the evening felt magical—the lights, the buzz of life, the beauty that seemed to hang in the air. But even with all the charm and romance of the city, there was a lingering ache in my chest. Travis wasn't here, and nothing felt quite as good without him by my side.

It had only been a few days since I left for the European leg of the tour and he was back in training camp, but it already felt like an eternity. I checked my phone for the hundredth time, hoping for a text from him. We both had hectic schedules and even though we were in different time zones, we promised to keep in touch as much as possible.

My phone buzzed, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw his name flash across the screen. Finally. Upon getting his text, I picked up the phone to call him. I had to hear his voice. 

Travis' POV

"Hey, baby," I answered, my voice a little rough from the hot practice. It had been a long day at training camp, but hearing Taylor's voice always made everything better.

"Hi," she said softly. "How's camp going?"

I leaned back on the couch in my Kansas City apartment, rubbing the back of my neck. "You know, the usual. Lots of running, lots of sweating." I tried to keep my tone light, but in reality, I missed her like crazy. Every time I caught myself reaching for my phone, wanting to text her, or catching a glimpse of her tour updates online, I felt that tug in my chest.

"I wish I was there," she whispered.

"Trust me, I wish you were too," I replied, my voice dropping a little. "How's Paris? Have you been getting some time to enjoy it?"

"It's beautiful," she said, though I could hear the longing in her voice. "The venues all set up for us even though I don't go on for another few days. But it's not the same without you."

I smiled at that. "We'll get through this. Just a few more weeks, and then I'm flying out to meet you."

"I can't wait," she said, and I could almost hear the smile in her voice. "But it feels like forever."

"It won't be," I promised her, though deep down I felt the same way. A few weeks without her felt like an eternity. "In the meantime, I might've sent something to help pass the time."

"What?" she asked, her tone curious now.

"You'll see tomorrow," I teased, grinning. "Just keep an eye out."

Taylors' POV

The next morning, in between a workout at the hotels gym and a brunch meeting with Tree, I returned to my hotel room, exhausted but excited. I hadn't forgotten what Travis said on the phone, and I couldn't help but wonder what he'd sent me.

As I stepped into the room, there it was—a large box wrapped in soft gold paper with a bow on top, sitting on the table by the window. My heart skipped a beat. He always found ways to surprise me.

I hurried over, smiling as I tore off the wrapping paper. Inside, there was a beautiful handwritten note in his familiar scrawl:

"To my favorite person in the world, I know we're far apart right now, but I'm always thinking of you. Hope these little things bring you some comfort and make you smile. Missing you every single second. Love, Travis."

I pressed the note to my chest, feeling tears prickle at the corners of my eyes. I missed him so much it hurt, but somehow, this made it better. Inside the box, I found a soft hoodie—one of his. I could tell by the slight smell of musk that it hadn't been washed in a hot minute, but that was the way I liked it. I couldn't help but laugh. As I immediately put it on, I felt cocooned and safe once more, as if he was here to hold me. I scrunched up my nose and smiled just as I would if he were here.