in the blink of a crinkling eye (tayvis)

i never been anywhere cold as you

It was six in the morning when the alarm startled the blue-eyed girl awake. Taylor groaned, switched it off, and buried her face in the pillow, grumbling. After a few seconds, she pulled herself up and headed to the bathroom.

Her curls were a mess, so she tamed them with some styling cream and her quick, practiced fingers. She then quickly picked out an outfit, finished getting ready, and went downstairs. She had twenty minutes to grab breakfast.

"Good morning," she said, entering the kitchen and seeing her brother and mom.

"Good morning, sis. Giving me a ride today?" Austin asked.

"If you don't make me late... I'm leaving in twenty," she replied while preparing cereal with milk. Her brother jumped up from his chair and ran off to get ready. He hated walking or taking the bus to school.

"Hi, sweetheart. How are you? Feeling any better?" There it was — that look of worry and care from her mom. Taylor had recently discovered her — now ex — boyfriend Drew had cheated on her. He'd been her first love and her first heartbreak. Her notebook was filled with lyrics.

"Fine," she replied curtly. She wasn't really okay, but she hated that pitying look. Ugh. She wanted to disappear.

Taylor swallowed her cereal and yelled for her brother, "I'll be waiting in the car, Austin! Five minutes!" She turned to her mom and kissed her cheek. "Bye, Mom. Have a great day." She gave a soft smile and went out to the car parked in front of the house.

She sat inside, listening to music while waiting for her brother. Her peace was quickly interrupted by a tapping on the window. She looked over and rolled her eyes hard.

"Don't look at me like that, Swifty. It makes my mind wander into... inappropriate scenarios." There was that mischievous grin.

"You're icky, Kelce," she said. "What do you want?"

"Please," he said, dragging out the vowels. "Give me a ride." He clasped his hands together with a pout.

"Where's your car?" the blonde asked, confused.

"Jason took it," he huffed, running a hand through his freshly cut hair.

Taylor rolled her eyes again. "Just get in." She honked for her brother, who promptly left the house and climbed into the back seat, since Travis had taken the front passenger seat.

"What's up, man?" Travis greeted him.

"Got yourself a ride, TK?"

"Yeah, you know this blonde loves me, just won't admit it," he teased with a wink at Taylor.

Taylor scoffed and flipped him off, then turned the radio up, letting Tim McGraw's voice fill the car.

(...)

"She's just become his trophy, you know? It's like he's doing it to rub it in my face," Taylor confided to her friend Abigail, her heart tightening and eyes misting slightly, but she held back her tears. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

"Tay... you know he doesn't deserve you," Abigail said, kissing her friend's cheek, to which Taylor gave a humorless smile.

"I know, but it still hurts." She shook her head and glanced back, feeling eyes on her. She raised her chin as if to say, "Got a problem?" to Travis, who was watching her from afar with that look.

She couldn't quite place it — he looked at her like that sometimes. Concern, anger, sadness. Sadness for what? She wondered but never asked.

He shook his head and turned his attention back to his teammates.