I want you. | Taylor Swift x Female Reader

Chapter 37: Secrets

"The permission slips for the class trip are due tomorrow—don’t forget to turn them in!" Taylor announced with a bright smile.

As I slipped my books into my bag, Cassi hesitated beside me. When I looked up, I noticed the way she bit her lip, her eyes downcast. 

"I’m not going," she murmured. 

My heart tightened. "What? Why not?" 

She sighed softly. "I just… I can’t afford it." 

The sadness in her voice made my chest ache. I knew that she was looking forward to it. She told me a couple times.

"Come with me—I think I have a solution," I said as an idea suddenly popped into my head.

Cassi gave me a curious look, but she didn’t question it. We swung our bags onto our backs and made our way toward the door. 

"Have a nice day, Miss Swift," I said, taking one last glance at her. 

"You too, girls," she replied warmly. The moment I stepped out of her classroom, I already missed her. 

As we walked down the hall, I turned to Cassi. "My brother is picking me up—maybe he can help." 

Cassi immediately shook her head. "No, I can’t accept that," she tried to protest, but I wasn’t having it.

Without another word, I grabbed her wrist and gently tugged her along toward the parking lot. 

The second we stepped outside, I spotted his black SUV, and as soon as he saw me, the door opened. Travis stepped out, his familiar grin stretching across his face. 

"Hey, Munchkin, how was your day," he said, pulling me into a warm hug. 

I smiled up at him. "Hey. My day was good. Uhm—this is Cassi, the friend I told you about." I turned to her, gesturing in her direction. 

Cassi, however, wasn’t moving. She stood completely frozen, eyes wide, mouth slightly open as she stared at him like she’d just seen a ghost. 

Travis chuckled and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Cassi. I’m Travis." 

Cassi let out a tiny squeak, her hands flying to her mouth. She started bouncing on her feet, her excitement barely contained.

"You—you didn’t tell me Travis Kelce is your brother!" she practically squealed, eyes darting between the two of us. 

I laughed, and Travis did too. 

Cassi took a deep breath, as if trying to calm herself, but the moment she looked at him again, it was no use.

Her hands were still clutched together like she was about to burst. "It’s such an honor to meet you," she gushed, her voice almost a whisper now, like she was afraid she might faint. "I—I’m your biggest fan." 

Travis grinned, clearly amused by her reaction. "Well, that means a lot, Cassi."

"Can I take you two out for lunch?" Travis asked, leaning casually against his car with a grin. 

I glanced at Cassi, who hesitated, shifting awkwardly. She never talked much about her situation, but I knew money was tight. 

"I have to see if I can af—" she started nervously, but Travis cut her off with a chuckle. "Don’t worry about that. It’s on me." 

Cassi looked at him, then at me, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. But after a moment, she gave a small nod. "Okay… thank you." 

And with that, we headed out for lunch.