almost | taylor swift au

chapter 9

Just as Taylor said they would, they get checked into their hotel with plenty of time to spare. Jett's mood seems to instantly change once they're in the room. He's wrapping his arms around her waist and trying to lead her to the king-sized bed for some kisses right away.

"Jett..." she says quietly, "not right now." She's upset from the words he said in the car, and he knows it. He doesn't want to take accountability for it, but he was shitty to her, and they both know it.

"Come on..." he says, holding her against his body and placing kisses on the top of her head.

"I already told you, not now. It was a long night and we've got a flight tomorrow. We should just get some rest." She wiggles around a little bit and manages to get out of his grasp.

"Hey," Jett says, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was fanatical or whatever. I don't want to do this all night. I don't want to fight with you."

She sighs, running her fingers through her hair before pulling it up into a ponytail. "It was a nice night with your family." She turns and starts to walk to the bathroom, but she feels his hand on the small of her back. "Jett, please."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He repeats the phrase, sounding like a broken record. Taylor rolls her eyes before turning back to face him.

"Fine. It's okay, I accept your apology. But really, I'm super tired. I just want to head to bed, okay?"

"Alright, alright."

In spite of how tired she is, Taylor is awake, tossing and turning for long after Jett has fallen asleep. She can't seem to keep her mind quiet for long enough for her eyes to close and pull her into a dream world. She replays the evening that she has had over and over in the vivid technicolor of her imagination. She really did have a lovely time with Jett's family. His parents and sister were all very kind to her, and nobody seemed to be offput, or look down on her, due to how young she is. She's pretty certain that they all liked her.

Jett certainly charmed her family as well. She wasn't sure if he'd be able to do it- as great as she thinks he is, she knows that at times, he can come across as a little bit abrasive. But not with her family. He was warm, funny. It was a side of him that she may be so bold as to say she's never seen before.

She's so thrilled with how the day went... or she was, until she got into the car with Jett. Until they had to fight. She sighs. Maybe it was her fault. She was the one who expressed concern in the first place about his driving too fast, too frantically. She should've just butted out, minded her own business. She knows he's been driving since he was sixteen- she was only six years old then. That's nearly her entire life that Jett has been driving- and he hasn't died yet.

Oh well, she thinks, it's too late now. There's nothing I can do about it. He'll forgive me. He'll understand that I made a mistake.

-----

It's a long travel day, only exacerbated by the fact that Taylor wasn't able to sleep. Though she catches a quick nap on the plane, she's utterly exhausted by the time that they make it to their hotel in San Francisco. She parts with Jett with a quick kiss, goes to her room, and instantly collapses on the bed, kicking off her shoes to the floor before she rolls over to her stomach and buries her face in the fluffy pillows.

She's so glad that Jett had a rehearsal to go to with the other guys in the band. He's not going to be calling her up, asking for her to come knocking at his door. He already told her that the rehearsal is top secret- not that she would've wanted to go anyway. But, hearing that did make her a little curious as to what the guys have got brewing up in that rehearsal room.