isn't it? [taylor swift]

chapter 42

Things had been too good.

Leia should have known that something was going to tip the scale eventually. Her grandmother had always told her that life had to find a natural balance, and while the concept of that had gotten Leia through some low moments in her life, she often tried to ignore it during the good bits. 

She'd texted Taylor as soon as she left the office, asking the blonde if it was okay if she dropped round to her apartment. She didn't want to do this - but she didn't really know what else she could do.

If they called law enforcement or tried to file a lawsuit of any kind, Dylan would have enough time to publish those photos. If they found him guilty or even turned up on his doorstep, he'd have enough time. She'd ran through every possible scenario in her head and there just wasn't one that was fool-proof. She needed time - she needed clarity and she needed to figure out how the fuck she was going to keep her little sister safe from the media and press.

Leia wasn't stupid - if Georgie had just been sending those pics to an average old college student that she studied with, it would be bad but would be brushed over quick enough. 

But Niall wasn't just any college student. He was Niall fucking Horan. He was arguably one of the more influential members of One Direction right now. If those photos got out, it wouldn't just be a scandal... it would be a media frenzy. She remembered what it was like when Harry and Taylor were together for a few short months, long before Leia and Taylor had ever met, and she knew that with the way social media had grown since then, it would be just as horrific for Georgie if not more so.

Leia's stomach churned at the thought of her sister's face splashed across tabloids, her privacy shattered, her future potentially ruined.

Leia's phone buzzed with Taylor's reply.

'sorry - I forgot to let you know. I had to fly back to london for a quick award appearance with joe - i'll be back tomorrow morning. very last minute. everything okay, love?'

Maybe it was better Taylor wasn't in, because now Leia was even more pissed off.

Couldn't she just have one minute in her life without Joe or Dylan or some stupid interruption making things so hard for her? What had she done in a past life to deserve all the hell that the universe was currently putting her through?

Leia's fingers hovered over her phone screen, torn between unleashing her frustration on Taylor and maintaining her composure. She wanted to scream, to throw her phone across the sidewalk and watch it shatter into a million pieces. 

She opted for a brief, noncommittal response. She knew Taylor would probably sense that there was a bit of an off-vibe about the text, but maybe that was better. Maybe it would make what was coming easier for her.

'It's fine. we can talk when you're back.'

As she walked, her mind raced through potential solutions. Could she reach out to Niall directly? No, that might only complicate things further. What about appealing to Dylan's humanity? She scoffed at the thought. Dylan had proven time and again that he had none.

She found herself at her apartment building, staring up at the familiar brick facade, before she even realised she'd arrived. The elevator ride felt interminable, each floor ticking by with agonizing slowness. Leia leaned against the cool metal wall, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths in a futile attempt to calm her racing heart.

At least Georgie was at class, so she'd be able to avoid facing her for now. She still wasn't even sure what to say to her and had been pretty successful in avoiding her as much as possible since the iHeart Awards.