Chapter 22
**Ed’s POV**
I stood there, silent and hopeless. I watched my whole world walk out the door. She had kissed me for the first time in a month. And yes, I felt everything in that kiss. My love is…gone. I know it wasn’t just one of our faults.
I hit the wall before falling to the ground, sobbing. She’s gone. I need her back….I need her back!
I stood up and ran out the door, hoping to see her and catch up to her. She was stepping into a cab.
“TAYLOR!” I started sprinting towards the cab. It sped away, leaving me in a cloud of smoke. “What did I do?” I asked out loud. Nobody answered, of course. Because everything I had just walked out my door.
**3 MONTHS LATER**
*Taylor’s POV*
“Hey babe.” Harry said, as he walked up to me. He only says this because we’re in front of a few fans. They saw me when I was walking in, so I signed a few things.
I put on a smile and greeted him. I introduced him as “my boyfriend, Harry.” It’s a publicity stunt, really. We have no real feelings for each other. I’m glad it’s Harry, though. He’s a great friend. He knows all about Ed, and he’s been so supportive.
Honestly, I’ve been a mess ever since we broke up. Behind all the cameras, I’m a depressed and confused girl. He’s moved on, when I’ve cried every night, wanting him to come back. He’s got a girlfriend now. Kailey.
“Taylor, are you okay?! Come here, baby. Let’s go in.” I noticed tears were sliding down my cheeks. I’d been too lost in my thoughts to even notice.
I said goodbye to the fans, before walking into the big arena. Harry took my hand and led me to my dressing room. The second he shut the door, I was in his arms, crying. He rubbed my back and said things in my ear in an effort to calm me. I pulled away and ran a hand through my long hair. I paced back and forth, my breath heavy.
See, tonight is my first concert. The Red Tour begins. Why am I so worried, you may ask? Because I’m going to see Ed for the first time in 3 months. And we’re singing a duet. It’s 3:00 now, and he’ll be here in just an hour for rehearsals.
“Hey. Taylor. It’s gonna be okay.” He took my hands in his. “I’d say we get you cleaned up, and you can wear something nice. Make him jealous. He needs to think you moved on, and he’ll realize that you’re the one for him. He misses you, Taylor. He’s asked about you. Whenever I see him he asks how you’ve been. Did you know he’s started smoking again? He stopped when you were together. His attitude has been worse, and he doesn’t even smile much anymore.”
I took in everything Harry said. I nodded and wiped my tears, probably smearing my makeup. “Thank you so much, Harry. Thank you for being such a supportive friend.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. In a friendly way, of course.
“No problem, Tay. You have to get ready now. Go pick out a dress, okay? I’ll be right back.”
He left and came back a few minutes later with a hairbrush, straightener, and my makeup. He told me to sit on the floor, so I did. He sat across from me. He pulled out makeup remover and a cloth and gently wiped all the makeup off my face.
“Taylor, you’re so pretty. Even without makeup. I know you think Kailey is prettier than you, but it’s not true. You’ve got nothing to worry about.” I smiled at him and thanked him.
While I did my makeup, Harry brushed and straightened my hair. He used to do these kinds of things for his sister. It’s kinda funny, but really sweet. When he was done, he gave me my outfit. It was the dress I wore when we went to the beach. Right before we started dating.
“You can get changed, Tay. I’ll turn around.” I smiled, because I trusted him. I changed and spun around in the mirror. Harry walked over and nodded. “Beautiful.” I blushed. I don’t think I’m beautiful. But I know if Harry said it, then he believes it.
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I was squeezing Harry’s hand really tight. So. Nervous.
“It’s gonna be okay. Go out there and sing better than you’ve ever sung. I’ll be here if you need me.” I hugged him once more before walking onto the stage, along with my band.
It was hours before the concert would start. Right now, we were rehearsing a few songs. What am I worried about, you might ask? Ed’s here. I haven’t seen him yet, but I heard him practicing from my dressing room. At that time, I was doing my best not to cry and ruin my makeup. I was curled up on Harry’s lap while he comforted me and played with my hair.
I hugged my band and told them which song I wanted to rehearse. I chose Treacherous. I wanted this to be the first song Ed heard me sing. It’s my favorite to sing.
When the music started, I swear I had a mini heart attack. I looked at Harry on the side of the stage. He gave me two thumbs up and smiled. Thumbs up meant Ed was listening. Oh my…
“Put your lips close to mine, as long as they don’t touch…”
I was doing okay. I tried to forget about him and sing, but it was hard. When I got through the song, everyone clapped. I gave a weak smile before walking off stage into Harry’s arms.
“What did he do, Harry?” I whispered.
“He walked away…” I sighed. I didn’t cry, but I was close.
“Harry, I’m gonna go to my dressing room for a few minutes. I need to think. Is that okay?”
“Of course, take your time.” I know he understood. He hugged me before sending me off.
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I sat on the couch with my head in my hands. I thought about whether I should talk to him or not. What would I say? I can’t do it. What if I cried? What if he doesn’t want to talk to me? What if-
I heard a knock on the door. Before I could ask who I was, the door opened to reveal the person I least expected. I wasn’t prepared for this.
“Ed…” I choked out.
“Hey Taylor.”
