Match Maker | T. Swift x OC

Chapter Twenty-One

I saw Sawyer as Emily Carey, so do what you will with that information.

Also, Gracie Abrams or Beabadoobee? 🙈🙊 (fyi, I probably won't listen to you guys because most of you wanted Sawyer and August together and I broke them up so)

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March, 2017

"Are you okay?"

"Mm."

Taylor frowned at her girlfriend, who laid in a thick hoodie and sweatpants under her quilt. How she was not sweating was beyond Taylor. But all she could think of was the fact that she had come home to see Mallory lying in her bed on a tear stained pillow.

Hours passed before Mallory left the bedroom to the music room. Taylor decided that she needed her space, and let her play Back In Black by AC/DC aggressively, so much so that even after the room had been soundproofed, you could hear the cymbal and bass drum.

When the music stopped playing, Taylor hesitantly made her way over to the room and opened the door. She heard Mallory sobbing loudly and rushed to her, seeing her girlfriend hunched over the drum set with her shoulders shaking manically.

Taylor pulled her in into a tight hug, and cooed into her ears. Waiting until she calmed down, Taylor whispered, "Are you okay?"

Mallory shook her head and looked at Taylor through her eyelashes, "I should have come with you," She cried, "I shouldn't have gone to Adelaide. I should've gone to New York, but I didn't and-" Taylor flinched when Mallory let out a choked sob, struggling to breathe, "Why do you like me? I'm not- I cry everyday and I don't talk like I should. I-I laughed at my dad's funeral. I'm not normal. I need help that I can't get."

The blonde chose to ignore the latter half of Mallory's rant, not having an answer that didn't consist of 'I don't want normal, I want you,' because that wouldn't bring Mallory any comfort, "What happened, sweetheart?" Taylor asked softly, stroking her girlfriend's hair.

Mallory pushed her head into Taylor's chest, "Lea... She- I was drunk and alone and she found me," Mallory started brokenly. Taylor's jaw clenched, but she hid her anger, "She kissed me and touched my waist and I didn't want to kiss her, N-Taylor."

"I know," Taylor kissed Mallory's head, "Did you tell anyone? The police?"

"Just- Just my siblings," Mallory whimpered, "Please don't ever hurt me, Taylor, I wouldn't be able to live if you hurt me."

"I won't," Taylor promised, "I won't ever hurt you."

Mallory stayed crying in Taylor's arms, but calmed down drastically and was now focussing on regulating her breathing. Her head hurt, as did her eyes, and her throat was scratchy. Taylor continued cooing kind words into Mallory's hair, kissing her head every once in a while to act as comfort.

The brunette took a while to calm down and when she did, she didn't meet Taylor's eyes after pulling away. Taylor hand to hold her face and lift her head up. Mallory saw past the look of love to the one of pure anger and hatred and though it wasn't aimed at her, she still flinched, like she had been shot.

A silence overtook them before Taylor kneeled down, "I'm sorry, Mallory. No one- no one deserves to go through that. I'm so sorry, baby."

Mallory sniffled and wiped her tears, wincing when she rubbed at a layer of her skin with her rough hoodie sleeve. Her eyes fluttered shut, "I just... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"It's not your fault," Taylor shook her head, kissing Mallory's forehead before recoiling, "Were you okay with me touching you? I know I didn't ask..."

"It's okay," Mallory nodded, sniffing.