save me - taylor swift

7

Not that she cared about their little reunion.

She needed to clear her head anyway.

She drove to a nearby market, picking up a couple of cigarette packs and a bag of apples. Something to snack on. Something to keep her hands busy.

Once she was back in her car, she lit another cigarette, pulling up Taylor's house on her phone's GPS.

She mapped out the entrances, the exits, the security placements.

She needed a way in.

Taylor usually went to bed around ten—she had learned that much already. By eleven, she'd be out cold.

Ruby set an alarm on her phone.

11:00 PM.

That would give her enough time.

She took another drag, exhaling slowly as she stared at the screen.

It was just another job.

She had done this before.

So why did it feel different?

Shaking off the thought, she turned the car back toward the beach house.

When she got there, she could hear the arguing from outside.

She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but Travis's voice carried through the walls, his tone sharp and defensive.

Taylor's was quieter, but no less pissed.

Ruby had half a mind to go inside and drag him out herself, but she stayed put, waiting in the car instead.

Half an hour later, Taylor stormed out of the house, her jaw tight, her shoulders tense.

Ruby got out, already moving toward the trunk to grab the bags when Taylor stopped her.

"If he wants to be the man," Taylor snapped, "then he can fucking carry them."

Ruby hesitated, looking at her.

Taylor was mad.

She had been watching Taylor long enough to know that she rarely ever got angry. Annoyed? Sure. Frustrated? Sometimes. But this? This was real anger.

Which meant Travis must've really pissed her off.

Ruby nodded, stepping back.

Travis, still sulking, stomped out of the house and begrudgingly grabbed the bags, huffing as he made his way to the car.

Ruby snickered to herself.

Men are so pathetic.

Travis threw the bags into the trunk with a little too much force before getting into the passenger seat, slamming the door shut behind him.

Ruby slid into the driver's seat, smirking slightly as she adjusted the mirror.

"Useless fucking staff," Travis muttered under his breath. "Can't even carry bags for her."

Ruby's jaw tightened, but she didn't react. She had dealt with far worse men than this.

What did surprise her, though, was how Taylor snapped her head toward him, eyes blazing.

"Shut the fuck up," she shot back. "You have no right to talk about my team like that."

Ruby blinked, slightly caught off guard.

Travis opened his mouth, but Taylor cut him off.

"Seriously, Travis. If you're going to be an asshole, just shut the hell up."

Silence filled the car.

Ruby sighed, shaking her head as she started the engine.

-

The drive back to the city was quiet, but not entirely peaceful. Taylor sat in the passenger seat, arms crossed, her jaw clenched in frustration. Ruby could feel the tension radiating off her, and she didn't need to ask to know it was because of Travis. The guy had been sulking ever since Taylor snapped at him, and now he was sitting in the backseat, his knee bouncing as he scrolled through his phone aggressively, probably texting some teammate to vent about how his girlfriend had the audacity to stand up for herself.

Ruby focused on the road, but she could hear every sigh, every muttered curse under Taylor's breath. She had never seen her this irritated before. Taylor was usually composed, always careful about how she presented herself, even in private moments. But right now, she wasn't holding back, and Ruby had to admit—it was interesting to see her like this. Not in control. Not perfectly put together.

After nearly an hour of driving, Travis finally spoke. "You're being dramatic." His voice was laced with annoyance, and Ruby could see Taylor tense even more in the corner of her eye.

"Oh, I'm dramatic?" Taylor scoffed, turning in her seat to face him. "Because I don't want to sit there and listen to you throw a tantrum over something stupid?"

Travis groaned. "It wasn't stupid."

Ruby bit the inside of her cheek. She had no idea what the fight was about, and she honestly didn't care, but she could tell it wasn't going to end anytime soon.

"Whatever," Taylor muttered, turning back to stare out the window.

Silence filled the car again, but this time, it was heavy. Ruby kept driving, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. This wasn't her problem. She had a job to do, and tonight—tonight was supposed to be the night.

She swallowed hard, her stomach twisting in a way she didn't like. She reminded herself that she had killed before. That this was just another job. That she was being paid ten million dollars to do this.

And yet, she couldn't shake the image of Taylor standing in the kitchen that morning, sipping her coffee, her robe draped over her shoulders, looking entirely too soft for someone who was about to be murdered.

Ruby exhaled through her nose, focusing on the road ahead. One more night. That was all she had to get through.