Lady in RED || Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce

Everything has changed

Travis sat in the quiet of their Kansas City house, staring at his phone on the coffee table. He wanted to call Taylor but every instinct in him told him to hear her voice, to find comfort in her calm. After everything that had happened today, he couldn't bring himself to do it. How could he even begin to handle this with just a phone call? How could he explain the whirlwind of emotions and revelations without seeing her face, without being there to reassure her?

His fingers twitched, hovering over the phone, but he pulled them back, running a hand over his face instead. He hated the space this had created between them, hated the weight of the truth he was holding alone. It wasn't that he didn't trust Taylor, it was the fear of what this would mean for her, for them, and for the life they were building. His mind circling back to the morning's conversation, replaying it in slow motion. The moment Cassie had said the words, "He's your son," it had felt like the ground had shifted beneath him. God, Jayden was ten years old. This wasn't some recent scandal, but the product of a no-strings-attached hookup during his second year with the Chiefs, back in 2014. His memory drifted, pulling him back to that time.

The 24-year-old version of himself had been nothing like the man he was now. Back then, life had been about football, parties, and keeping things light. He was still riding the high of being drafted, blowing through money faster than he made it and still trying to prove himself on and off the field. Kansas City had been a fresh start, and the bar he and his teammates frequented after games had become a regular part of his routine.

That was where he'd met Cassie.

She'd been a waitress there, working late nights to pay for grad school. Travis remembered how she'd carried herself, friendly but no-nonsense, with a quick wit that matched his own. She didn't swoon over him like some of the other women he encountered, which was probably what had caught his attention in the first place.

"You want another beer, Kelce?" she'd asked one night, leaning on the bar with a tired smile.

"Depends," he'd replied, flashing the same cocky grin he gave on game days. "What's a guy gotta do to get you to sit and have one with me?"

Cassie had rolled her eyes but laughed. "Pretty sure the rulebook says no drinking on the job, but nice try."

He'd persisted, of course. Over the next few weeks, their banter turned into something more, and eventually, Cassie had agreed to meet him after her shift ended. They'd kept it casual from the start. Late-night hangouts, easy conversations, and a physical connection that came without expectations.

"I'm not looking for a relationship," she'd told him one night as they sat in her car after one of her late shifts. Her tone was clear, with no room for misinterpretation. "I've worked way too hard to get where I am, and I'm so close to finishing school. I can't let anything, or anyone, get in the way of that."

Travis nodded, leaning back in the passenger seat, his easy grin softening as he looked at her. "I get that. Football's my whole world right now. Between practices, games, and just trying to keep my spot on the roster, I can't handle anything serious either." He paused, then added with a chuckle, "I just need someone I can kick it with. No drama. No pressure. Easy peasy."

She'd laughed at that, relaxing slightly. "Easy peasy, huh? I could use a little easy right now."

From that point on, they'd had an unspoken understanding. No strings. No expectations. Just two people filling in the gaps of their busy lives with something uncomplicated. They'd parted on good terms when she left the bar for a hospital job, ready to focus on her career in nursing.

He hadn't thought much of it, his life moved fast in those days. There had been a revolving door of faces, and Cassie had simply been one of many who came and went. Jayden, was a reminder that the past wasn't as neatly tucked away as he'd thought. If she'd told him then, would he have stepped up? Or been a cocky asshole looking to dodge any responsibility? Man, would he have even been capable of putting someone's wellbeing before his dreams back then?