save me - taylor swift

10

It wasn't much. Just a glance, a brief moment where their gazes met before Taylor looked away. 

But Ruby noticed every single one. 

It was nearing five when the rehearsal finally wrapped up. Dancers started filtering out, talking amongst themselves, sweat-slicked and exhausted. Taylor was one of the last to leave. 

Ruby pushed off the wall, falling into step beside her as they made their way toward her dressing room. 

Taylor was quiet for most of the walk, the weight of the day settling on her shoulders. She barely reacted when Ruby opened the door for her, stepping inside without a word. 

Ruby hesitated for a split second before following. 

Taylor sat on the couch, leaning back against the cushions with a heavy exhale. She reached for the water bottle on the side table, taking a slow sip before finally speaking. 

"Do you ever think about leaving?" 

The question caught Ruby off guard. 

She leaned against the armrest of the couch, watching Taylor closely. "Leaving what?" 

Taylor gestured vaguely. "This. The industry. Everything." 

Ruby didn't answer right away. 

Did she? 

Once, maybe. When she was younger, when she thought she could build a life outside of the one she had been forced into. But that wasn't an option anymore. 

Not for her. 

"I don't know," she said finally, her voice even. "Do you?" 

Taylor let out a breath of laughter, tilting her head back against the couch. "All the time." 

There was something in her tone that Ruby couldn't quite place. 

"What stops you?" 

Taylor didn't answer at first. Then, finally— 

"I don't know how to be anything else." 

Ruby understood that better than she wanted to admit. 

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The silence between them was heavy, filled with things unsaid. 

Then, Taylor sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. "I should shower." 

Ruby took the cue. She pushed off the couch and headed for the door. 

"Get some rest after," she said over her shoulder. "I'll be outside." 

Taylor didn't respond, just watched as Ruby stepped out, the door clicking shut behind her. 

Ruby exhaled, running a hand through her hair. 

She needed to get her head on straight. 

Because whatever was happening between them— 

It wasn't supposed to happen at all.

-

The guilt sat heavy in Ruby's chest, gnawing at her insides no matter how much she tried to ignore it. She should have never gone as far as she did last night, never let herself lose control the way she had. And now, every time she looked at Taylor, the evidence of her actions was staring right back at her, dark bruises blooming along the delicate skin of her throat.

She needed to do something.

So, instead of lingering around outside Taylor's dressing room, Ruby slipped out of the building and headed toward the nearest pharmacy. She moved quickly, barely paying attention to her surroundings as she grabbed a few different creams and ointments—anything that promised to help with bruising and inflammation. The cashier gave her a strange look as she placed them on the counter, but Ruby didn't bother explaining. She paid in cash, stuffed the bag under her arm, and made her way back.