Stay - Taylor Swift

Chapter 34

When the doctor came in to run a few tests on Grace a while later, Taylor excused herself to go check on Joe next door. She knocked on the door to his room and heard Parker tell her to come in, hearing the latch click and the door open. The room was a mirrored version of the brunette's, the only difference being the occupants. 

"Hey, how are you guys doing in here?" Taylor asked, giving her employees a smile to try and keep the mood light.

"Never better, Ms. Swift," Joe replied with a cheeky grin. She could see the band-aid covering his forehead, hiding the stitching he had received. His hair had been transformed into a buzz-cut and his leg was elevated.

"I think we're a little past the formalities," Taylor chuckled, standing next to the bed, "Parker, can you give us a minute? Maybe go say hi to Grace? She asked about you a while ago."

"Yes, ma'am," the older of the group obliged, standing up and leaving the room. 

Taylor took Parker's chair that faced the bed, sighing as she looked up at Joe. Joe moved his eyes to the wall, he couldn't tell if Taylor was going to yell at him or not. He was fully aware that he was the subject of the girl's fight, listening to Grace cry about it the entire trip back.

"Taylor, I'm sorry," Joe said, looking at the blonde who was trying to figure out what to say.

"No, I'm not mad. I'm really not, nothing here is your fault. You were doing your job and I'm so thankful that you have been there for Grace for the last few months. Honestly, you're not just her bodyguard, you're her best friend too. I just wanted to thank you."

Joe gave a smile at the singer's words, feeling a sense of relief replace the slight anxiety he had been previously feeling. 

"When Tree hired you, I absolutely despised you. I'll be honest, I hated you but now... you make my girlfriend happy, she can talk to you about the things she's not ready to share with me. You make sure she's okay and you push her out of her comfort zone and I'm so grateful that you came into our lives. I'm hoping that when we go separate ways you'll still be around for her, for us, really," Taylor said, admitting some things she hadn't even admitted to herself yet.

"Of course I will," Joe smiled with a light laugh, stopping as he felt sharp pain from his broken ribs.

"Also, if you'll let me, I have the numbers of some people I think could help you get started on acting, you know, for when you recover."

"You don't need to do that but thank you, I appreciate it," the blonde man said to the singer, noticing how Taylor had gotten really deep in their conversation all of the sudden.

Taylor paused for a moment, "The doctor told me that the responding officers found you shielding Grace from the impact."

Joe's smile dropped as he remembered the crash. It was dark and they were cruising down the highway in silence, the bright lights of the opposing vehicle blinding him and before he could think twice, he shifted his weight to the passenger side of the rental car, blocking Grace's body.

When he woke up he was already in the hospital, he could remember what happened but had tried to block it out. Thankfully, Parker joined him only a short while after and gave him a good distraction from thinking about it, only leaving the pain.

"I was just doing my job," Joe said softly, "Protect Grace at all costs. That's my job, right?"

Taylor gave a forced smile as she tucked away the sensation of pain she felt in her heart, "Just be her friend Joe. There's a million guys out there who could escort her around and make sure she locks the door at night but there's only one of you. Thank you for saving her, I don't know what I would have done if she got seriously injured."