loveless // haylor au

chapter ten

"these days, we kiss and we keep busy,
the waves come after midnight"

~

chapter ten
the longing problem

July 17th

The first time I saw Taylor Swift was at a pub.
It was the pub we went to before Lord's opened and she was sat at the bar with Cara, her hair long down to the middle of her back, her eyes nearly hidden under some bangs, that were perhaps overdue for a trim. It must've been February.

'Who's that?' I asked Dex, who was sat next to me in the booth, his fingers wrapped around a pint, 'Next to Cara, who's that girl?'

She was wearing black shorts, and a tight white t-shirt, her feet covered with black Chuck Taylor's. She was drinking something in a glass, probably not alcoholic, but she didn't want anyone to know that, I bet.

'Ah, can't remember,' Dex replied back, 'Hot, though.' I saw Sammy in front of me, turn in the booth to look over his shoulder.

She was certainly attractive. I could only see the side of her face, but it was more than enough.

When Ed walked through the pub doors, I watched him walk over to the blonde and hug her. She jumped up excitedly and wrapped her arms around him.
I got a look at the long of her legs for the first time. I licked the corner of my mouth.

'Ed knows her?' I asked Dex, who had been saying something to Sammy.

Dex nodded, 'Oh, yeah, that's right,' He said with a small hiccup, 'she's Ed's new flat mate. She's Australian, or something.'

'What's her name?'

'Dunno mate. Why don't you go say hello?'

I shook my head no, and scratched at my star tattoo, only looking back over with the corner of my eyes when I saw Ed heading our way, Cara and her friend right behind him.

'Lads,' Ed greeted, jumping in next to Sammy. Sammy moved around the booth, sitting next to Dex. Ed followed through.

'You met Taylor?' Ed asked, pointing at her, as she stood tall and straight behind Cara. She lifted her hand in a wave.
Taylah.

'Hi,' she said, her smile wide, scooting in next to Cara and opposite me. I watched her skin glow in the light that was directly above us.

'Tay, this is Dex, Harry and Sammy,' Ed introduced and she grinned at the boys, but barely even glanced at me. Maybe that had been on purpose.

'Your Ed's new flatmate?' Sammy asked curiously, leaning over to shake her hand. I noticed the ring on her left hand almost immediately, the white diamond about blinding me in the light.

'Yeah, as of this morning,' she giggled and Dex was an idiot. She was American, not Australian.

'Where you from?'

'Uh, Pennsylvania, born and raised. But New York, really.'

'Wicked! Harry you've lived in New York!'

I could've kicked Sammy in the face for bringing me into the conversation. I had a mouthful of beer, and just nodded.

'Oh, cool,' Taylor smiled, looking directly at me, and I watched her expression pull into something similar to wonder, and confusion. She squinted briefly, like she was trying to read me closer. I licked between my lips and went back to my pint.