Malory nodded, sighing out of her nose.

"Hey, Mallory?"

"Yeah?"

"Stay safe, kid. Take things slow. You don't need to ask her to marry you and start a family with you right now. You have the rest of your life for that."

The brunette smiled, "thanks, Burns."

An alarm when off and they said their goodbyes, ending the call. Mallory shut her laptop with a groan.

If she told Taylor what had actually happened, would she hate her for lying? Would she resent her? Would she leave? Would they push each other over the edge?

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" August mused, looking at her tense sister. "Relationship problems?"

"You think making out with someone twice makes you some sort-a relationship guru?" Mallory scoffed, cracking her knuckles against the table. "It's none of your business, nosy. How was the reading?"

August snorted, "my character and I both end up being orphans!"

"Dude, spoiler alert," Mallory rolled her eyes at her sister's joke. "And you're not an orphan."

"You're hardly a mother." August rolled her eyes, "Taylor's more my mum than you are."

"Yeah, you got gay mums, congrats."

"I won the lottery, huh?" August smirked.

"Taylor's not adopting you, too, Auggie."

"She'll warm up to the idea."


"Hi, Inez!" Taylor greeted cheerfully, the phone being propped up on her NME award. "How's baby Taylor?"

The redhead rolled her eyes at the blonde, caving at the name, "I'll tell ya what. If you can predict the date that they come out correctly, I'll name them Taylor."

The blonde's eyes widened comically, as she stopped painting her nails. "Really?"

"Really."

"Uh... February thirteenth, twenty-seventeen." Taylor guessed, watching as Inez wrote the date down.

"You're on, Swift."

Taylor grinned giddily like a child in Christmas. Then they got back on target. Inez explained why she had called Taylor in the first place. The blonde's smile dropped and she continued to paint her nails nonchalantly.

The words that came out of Inez's mouth pained Taylor, though it was nothing that Mallory hadn't already told her, just in greater detail. How Mallory was present, but she wasn't there. Another relapse.

August was the only one with her currently, but she was barely there, having to film her scenes.

Taylor knew she shouldn't have left, but Mallory had insisted that she spend some sister-sister time alone with August. August agreed and Taylor took made her way back to Nashville.

Now, Mallory was lied down on the couch in get hotel room, staring at the blank wall. There were no emotions in her eyes when Taylor got there. Tears streamed down her face horizontally.

"Are you okay?" The blonde asked, taking a knee in front of Mallory.

The brunette just shrugged. "I don't know," she then mumbled, "I just woke up and..."

"That's okay," Taylor shook her head gently, "can i touch you?"

"Where?"

"Your face and hands," Taylor answered, smiling softly when Mallory nodded. One of her hands caressed Mallory's cheek and the other was slotted between her hands, "do you want to go back to New York?"

Mallory shook her head, eyes filling up with tears, "I want Lexie."

"Lexie's in New York, baby," Taylor frowned.

"I don't want to go to New York, I just want Lexie, Tay." She sobbed, clenching her eyes shut in embarrassment.

"Okay," Taylor nodded, "How about we go to New York to get Lexie then we head over to Rhode Island until Thanksgiving week?"

Mallory shrugged, "I'm sorry."

"What for?" Taylor asked sweetly, "you haven't done anything to be sorry for."

"For being a big baby," Mallory shook her head when Taylor went to protest, "I am. I shut down because I wanted my cat but didn't know how to tell anyone."

"You're not a big baby," Taylor shook her head, "you're a person with perfectly normal emotions. You just don't know how to express them properly, but that's what you're working on with Dr. Burns, right?"

Mallory frowned and nodded, "I guess."

Taylor smiled, kissing Mallory's forehead, "come on. The jet will be ready tomorrow morning."


-----

- Do you think Mallory should tell Taylor the truth soon? Why/why not?

- Do you think Taylor will be mad at Mallory for lying?

- how are you this evening?

Match Maker | T. Swift x OCWhere stories live. Discover now