Lover

Chapter 5. Express Yourself

TAYLOR'S POV

"So, you know you just broke the internet, right?" Selena says with a chuckle before she takes a sip of her Pinot Noir and sets her glass on the coffee table.

"Yeah, I kinda figured that would happen" I agree, taking a sip of wine from my own glass.

"How is she handling it?" She asks, curiosity present in her tone.

"Hmm, kinda hard to say. Like two seconds after I followed her, her phone was blowing up from all the follow requests from the fans who pay attention to that sorta thing. I know she silenced the notifications from Instagram, but I think she checks it every once in a while. I can't tell how she feels about it, but she told me that she'd tell me when she's getting overwhelmed. I guess it helps that she isn't on social media a lot." I explain as I grab a few pretzels from the bowl on the table.

"Do you believe that she'd actually tell you? Or do you think she'll try to figure it out on her own?" She asks curiously. Because she's my best friend, I can tell she's not trying to be pushy, but rather just making sure we're gonna be okay.

I sigh.

"That was the battle I had with Tree... She thinks that adding Y/N to the mix would be a bad idea, but I don't think she's giving her enough credit. She can handle a lot. I mean, she's been doing it her whole life, especially with her brother. I know she's hesitant about asking for help, but she's done it before with me. I think she might be hesitant at first, but she's asked for my help before. She knows she can come to me with anything." I elaborate, explaining my opinion about the matter.

"Yeah, but she shouldn't have to. You know how overwhelming it can be. You're putting her under a magnifying glass with how famous you are. I mean, there are literal news stations reporting about your relationship. That's a lot. Especially for someone who isn't used to paparazzi or blowing up on social media" She tries to explain.

"Yeah... I know." I say with a disappointed sigh.

Maybe she's right? Both of them. I want to protect her, always, so maybe I shouldn't have put her in the spotlight. Maybe I should've listened to my publicist?

"I know you're probably second-guessing yourself, but I don't mean to make you feel bad about it. I just want to make sure you understand the seriousness of the situation. She's not used to any of this... I know you want her to be immersed in the good in your life, but you also have to shield her from the bad. Make sure her boundaries are being respected." She emphasizes her point.

"You're absolutely right. I have no issue with protecting her." I agree.

"But don't suffocate her either. If she says she can handle it-"

"Then believe her. I know" I finish her sentence with a smile.

"So where is she now? Is she on her way yet?" She asks taking a sip from her glass.

"Yeah, she just sent me a text saying she and Key are on the way," I say, reaching for another pretzel.

Tonight, instead of having a movie night, the four of us are going to play Wii Sports together. The whole idea was mine, except it was created by Y/n because we were having a conversation about all of us going out to bowl, except Y/n says she sucks so much at bowling that she can't even do it on the Wii. So, being naturally curious, I wanted to put that statement to the test. Plus, every game on the console is so nostalgic, so I'm sure it would be fun for everyone.

"Where were they?" Selena asks, setting her glass back on the table.

"House hunting," I say nonchalantly.

Selena looks at me with a shocked but calm expression.

"You're buying her a house?!" She asks in disbelief, making me laugh.