Chapter Text
“Why are you here?” Joe asked, surprised by the figure sitting on the edge of his bed. He would've suspected it to be a crazy fan girl invading his room, and was ready to call security if he hadn't seen the curly blonde's face gazing up at the sound of his voice, looking equally as surprised.
“I-I don't know,” she admitted, her voice small and unsure. “To talk, maybe?” her golden eyebrows scrunched up as if she she couldn't believe Joe was there, like he was the one who suddenly barged in on her.
She gradually stood up and walked over to him, never taking her steady electric blue eyes off his.
“Taylor,” he said the word slowly, his lips remembering the form of her name as he voiced it out loud, which he hasn't done in a very long time.
Taylor stopped a few inches from him. He could smell her sweet perfume from where he stood. It smelled like a mix of raspberry and vanilla.
“I need to tell you something. Something important,” she said but Joe caught the hesitation hidden in her voice and thought he understood what she was trying to tell him.
Before she could try to speak again, he started, “Look, if this is about the break-up. I swear, I didn't cheat on you. And I really am sorry our relationship ended that way.” He held her by the shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes, meaning to show how much he really meant what he was saying. It sounded harsh but his voice was as honest and sincere as he could make it.
Her reaction was something he didn't expect, though.
“It's nothing about THAT!” she spat, practically turning a dark shade of red. “That was five years ago, Joe! What makes you think I'd want to bring that up again?”
She hastily shrugged her shoulders away from his grip and folded her arms across her chest. Her almond-shaped eyes were glaring at him with unhidden rage. Joe felt a shiver run down his spine as the temperature in the room dropped all of a sudden.
“You're right. I'm sorry,” he backed down, careful not to make her angrier. He didn't want to push Taylor's buttons any further. He knew, maybe more than anyone, just how far her wrath could reach. “But if it's not about that, then, what is it, Taylor?”
Taylor let out a deep sigh, bit at her bottom lip, and looked at the ground like it held the secrets of the universe. Joe immediately knew she was nervous, checking all the tattle-tale signs she uknowingly gives away whenever she was.
Then, she finally made up her mind and lifted her head to look up at him. “I'm---”
“Joe, who are you talking to?” Taylor was interrupted by a voice just outside the door.
The doorknob turned and Joe's mother, Denise, entered the room without announcement.
Joe looked at his mother, knowing that she won't be thrilled to see Taylor in his room. “Mom, we were just---” he looked back at Taylor but all he saw was his empty bedroom.
“Well?” his mother asked, getting slightly suspicious. Joe shook his dark-haired head.
“Uh, nothing. I was just on the phone,” he lied, willing for his mother not to look at his nightstand, where he knew he left his phone.
Luckily, she didn't notice.
Denise stared at his twenty-three year old son, whom she rarely got to see since he moved out to his new house in LA when he was nineteen. She knew he was hiding something. She was his mother, they practically have a sixth sense for that. But she trusted his son enough to hope that he wan't hiding anything illegal or life-threatening.
“Okay,” she stated, Joe let out a sigh of relief. “You should get some sleep, Joe. You and your brothers' rehearsal is tomorrow and you need all the energy you can get.”
Joe nodded. “I know. It was just something important. Goodnight, mom.”
Denise closed the door and left his son alone. Or so she thought that he was.
“Taylor?” Joe whispered loudly once he heard his mother's footsteps going down the stairs. “Taylor, where are you?” he opened up his closet drawer, only to find his neatly racked shoes, suits, and clothing inside, no sign of anyone having been hiding there. “Taylor, where are you?” he asked more loudly now, getting a bit frustrated.
“I'm right here,”
Joe whipped around and saw Taylor standing inches away from his face.
“Jesus! Don't scare me like that!” Taylor chuckled delightfully, staring at him with a 'got you' expression on her angelic face.
“Why did you just disappear?”
“I couldn't let your mom see me.”
Joe looked over at the clock on the wall behind where Taylor was standing. It's already past midnight. “Tay, I think you should be heading home. It's getting late. Whatever it is you wanted to tell me could, at least, wait until tomorrow.” Taylor almost looked relieved. “Maybe we can grab lunch first, before showing up in each other's rooms,” he added as an afterthought, which earned a small smile from Taylor.
Then, she paused, thinking about something.
“That would be great if I could actually 'grab' lunch with you,” she said with a laugh but her smile falters and Joe caught her eyes shimmering before she looked back down at the ground.
“Why not?,” Joe asked. She wasn't making any sense. “Taylor, is everything okay?” He gently lifted her head by her chin, seeing her electric blue eyes full of tears. She blinked up at him and both tears fell down in a race on her cheeks.
“Hey,” his voice was soft and careful. “I'm sorry. We don't need to wait until tomorrow. You could stay here and we'll talk.” He cupped the sides of her face with his hands and gently wiped away her tears with his thumbs.
Taylor stared and Joe stared back. He saw the grief inside her eyes but he also saw a flash of something more in them, something that was hidden behind the sadness she was showing.
“No. I'm fine,” she gently took off his hands from her face and backed away. ”I-I need to go now.”
Joe was about to say something but it was as if she put up a wall around her to shut him out and prevent him from knowing what she was hiding. ”Do you need a ride?” he asked instead. She didn't reply.
She faced the wooden door and didn't do anything else but stare at it. Joe took this as a sign that she changed her mind on leaving but then she looked back and asked him, “Uhm, c-could you open the door for me?”
“Sure.” Joe was completely puzzled by her. What's with her? He'd never seen her act this strange before.
He walked over and opened the door. Taylor hurridely walked out, muttering a simple goodbye.