State of Grace
One of One
It's a scene Taylor was once familiar with; a barn decked out in string lights and a dj tucked in the corner playing the latest country hits, all the hay and tools pushed to the side and a make shift floor in the middle of the room. It's different than the parties held in New York or Los Angeles but different is good for Taylor right now. She could feel herself being swept up in the industry and she needed to get out before she completely lost her mind. So she booked a one way ticket to Tennessee and decided to stay with her old friends for a few weeks.
It's a Friday night and Friday nights in Murfreesboro usually means barn parties. Which is how Taylor found herself in one of her friends dressed and her old cowboy boots; she was going to wear one of her dresses but her friend said she looked too expensive (Taylor argued that it only cost $75 and her friend said precisely). Most if not all of the people in the barn knew everyone else and Taylor recognized a few people but no one to really converse with so she mostly stuck by her friends side unless she was dancing with her husband (22 and already married, something Taylor dreamed of as a little girl).
Half way through the night Taylor was standing off to the side casually talking to someone she went to high school with when a guy wearing a cream cowboy hat, a plaid shirt rolled up to his elbows and baggy jeans and cowboy boots. Taylor watched out the corner of her eyes as the boy smirked and tucked his hands into his pockets, his thumbs sticking out and curling around his belt loops which made Taylor roll her eyes.
“Hello miss,” the man said tilting his hat. “What’s your name?”
Taylor laughed, “I’m Taylor and you are?”
The guy smirked, “I’m the guy you’ll never have to write a song about.”
Taylor laughed loudly, “That’s a good one. It’s not like I’ve never heard that before.”
“Well I’m sure the other fellows didn’t mean it like I do.”
“I’m sure you do.” She said rolling her eyes and turning back to her friend.
“Can I have this dance?”
Taylor looked back him noticing his green eyes and okay she’s a sucker for green eyes and he is really handsome plus she hasn’t danced all night so she shrugged and nodded, taking his hand and walking to the dance floor with him.
“What’s your name, anyway?”
“Colton James.”
“Well it’s nice meeting you Colton James.”
“Oh the pleasure is all mine Taylor Swift.”
++
“This is so cliché.” Taylor giggled as she followed him into the local fair.
“Might be,” Colton shrugged, “but when was the last time you went to a fair? In Murfreesboro even?”
“When I was like ten.”
“See? You’ve been missing out. Those Hollywood clubs have got nothing on this.”
Taylor giggled and slid her arm around Colton’s, “Well you’ve got a lot to prove tonight.’
“I think I can handle it.”
Colton took her around the fair, winning a few games for her and allowing her to beat him at a few games. They rode a few rides and Colton was patient and understanding just enough to let Taylor pose for a few pictures but he also didn’t let people mob her and casually stole her away when it was taking too long for his liking. They rode the ferris wheel at night but the most Colton did was wrap his arm around her shoulders and when it was finally time to bring Taylor back to her friends, Colton kissed her cheek and promised to call her again.
++
“Happy anniversary baby.” Taylor told Colton, kissing the corner of his mouth.
Colton grinned, “And happy anniversary to you as well.” Colton pulled a small wrapped box out of the drawer by their bed and handed it over to Taylor. “I paid some girl scouts to wrap it which is why it looks so nice and it’s not much, probably nothing like at Tiffany’s but.” Colton shrugged.
Taylor rolled her eyes, “You’ve got to know by now that I don’t need anything expensive.”
Colton rolled his eyes and pushed the box towards her, “Just open it.”
Taylor sat up in bed and carefully unwrapped the gift, taking the box off and gasping at the contents. Two ropes were braided (a purple for Taylor and red for Colton) and they were connect on two different sides with two hearts. One of the hearts says Taylor and Colton and the other says two years until forever.
“Col, this is so wonderful.”
Colton grinned and finally sat up, “Yeah? I made it all myself.”
“Shut up, you did not.”
Colton grinned again, “I will not shut up and yes I did.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Well I’m glad you think so.”
Taylor smiled and kissed Colton quickly, “Of course. Now here!” Taylor reached behind her and gave Colton a box. “Open!”
“Always so giddy.”
Taylor giggled, “I just love giving you gifts.”
He laughed and kissed her quickly, “I know babe.”
Taylor put the bracelet on as Colton started opening his own gift; a watch with a dark green fabric band and a big black face with green numbers.
“I know you broke your work watch recently and I hated you wearing your nice watch while you did all that construction so I got you this one.” Taylor explained. “Is it okay? I mean I can return it and maybe you can come with me so you can pick out which one you really want. There was a-“
Taylor was cut off by Colton kissing her mumbling against her lips, “Would you just shut up woman?”
Taylor giggled, “Sorry.”
“I love it Swifty. It’s perfect and I don’t want to return it or get another one. This one is perfect.”
Taylor sighed and nodded, “I love you. These have been the best two years.”
Colton smiled, “I love you too. And I’m glad because they’ve been mine.”
++
“When I met you I knew I had a lot to prove and I’d like to think I did a good job at it, seeing as how we’re here.” Colton spoke smiling across from his soon to be wife. “I am going to spend every day with you continuing to prove to you that you’ve made the right choice. I’m in love with you Taylor Swift and I knew it way before you even knew who I was and maybe that’s creepy but to me it’s just more proof we’re meant to be. You’re the girl of my dreams and I promise to love and cherish and provide for you from this moment on. I love you Swifty and I will love you forever.”
The wedding guests awed and some even clapped after Colton’s speech before quietly and focusing on the bride.
“I’ve made a lot of speeches in my life and this is by far the most important one to date. I didn’t see you coming, Col, and I was sure you were going to be another song, another boy in the google search bar of who has Taylor Swift dated. You’ve given me the world and I love you so much and so deeply. I’m so thankful for you and I’m so happy you’ve stuck by me from the first barn dance to the Grammy’s after party. I’ve put you in a terrible position but you’ve handled it so well. Not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for putting you in my life. You’re it, Colton, you’re my person for the rest of my life and I love you so much. Thank you for being the boy that I’ll never have to write a song about.”
It's a Friday night and Friday nights in Murfreesboro usually means barn parties. Which is how Taylor found herself in one of her friends dressed and her old cowboy boots; she was going to wear one of her dresses but her friend said she looked too expensive (Taylor argued that it only cost $75 and her friend said precisely). Most if not all of the people in the barn knew everyone else and Taylor recognized a few people but no one to really converse with so she mostly stuck by her friends side unless she was dancing with her husband (22 and already married, something Taylor dreamed of as a little girl).
Half way through the night Taylor was standing off to the side casually talking to someone she went to high school with when a guy wearing a cream cowboy hat, a plaid shirt rolled up to his elbows and baggy jeans and cowboy boots. Taylor watched out the corner of her eyes as the boy smirked and tucked his hands into his pockets, his thumbs sticking out and curling around his belt loops which made Taylor roll her eyes.
“Hello miss,” the man said tilting his hat. “What’s your name?”
Taylor laughed, “I’m Taylor and you are?”
The guy smirked, “I’m the guy you’ll never have to write a song about.”
Taylor laughed loudly, “That’s a good one. It’s not like I’ve never heard that before.”
“Well I’m sure the other fellows didn’t mean it like I do.”
“I’m sure you do.” She said rolling her eyes and turning back to her friend.
“Can I have this dance?”
Taylor looked back him noticing his green eyes and okay she’s a sucker for green eyes and he is really handsome plus she hasn’t danced all night so she shrugged and nodded, taking his hand and walking to the dance floor with him.
“What’s your name, anyway?”
“Colton James.”
“Well it’s nice meeting you Colton James.”
“Oh the pleasure is all mine Taylor Swift.”
++
“This is so cliché.” Taylor giggled as she followed him into the local fair.
“Might be,” Colton shrugged, “but when was the last time you went to a fair? In Murfreesboro even?”
“When I was like ten.”
“See? You’ve been missing out. Those Hollywood clubs have got nothing on this.”
Taylor giggled and slid her arm around Colton’s, “Well you’ve got a lot to prove tonight.’
“I think I can handle it.”
Colton took her around the fair, winning a few games for her and allowing her to beat him at a few games. They rode a few rides and Colton was patient and understanding just enough to let Taylor pose for a few pictures but he also didn’t let people mob her and casually stole her away when it was taking too long for his liking. They rode the ferris wheel at night but the most Colton did was wrap his arm around her shoulders and when it was finally time to bring Taylor back to her friends, Colton kissed her cheek and promised to call her again.
++
“Happy anniversary baby.” Taylor told Colton, kissing the corner of his mouth.
Colton grinned, “And happy anniversary to you as well.” Colton pulled a small wrapped box out of the drawer by their bed and handed it over to Taylor. “I paid some girl scouts to wrap it which is why it looks so nice and it’s not much, probably nothing like at Tiffany’s but.” Colton shrugged.
Taylor rolled her eyes, “You’ve got to know by now that I don’t need anything expensive.”
Colton rolled his eyes and pushed the box towards her, “Just open it.”
Taylor sat up in bed and carefully unwrapped the gift, taking the box off and gasping at the contents. Two ropes were braided (a purple for Taylor and red for Colton) and they were connect on two different sides with two hearts. One of the hearts says Taylor and Colton and the other says two years until forever.
“Col, this is so wonderful.”
Colton grinned and finally sat up, “Yeah? I made it all myself.”
“Shut up, you did not.”
Colton grinned again, “I will not shut up and yes I did.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Well I’m glad you think so.”
Taylor smiled and kissed Colton quickly, “Of course. Now here!” Taylor reached behind her and gave Colton a box. “Open!”
“Always so giddy.”
Taylor giggled, “I just love giving you gifts.”
He laughed and kissed her quickly, “I know babe.”
Taylor put the bracelet on as Colton started opening his own gift; a watch with a dark green fabric band and a big black face with green numbers.
“I know you broke your work watch recently and I hated you wearing your nice watch while you did all that construction so I got you this one.” Taylor explained. “Is it okay? I mean I can return it and maybe you can come with me so you can pick out which one you really want. There was a-“
Taylor was cut off by Colton kissing her mumbling against her lips, “Would you just shut up woman?”
Taylor giggled, “Sorry.”
“I love it Swifty. It’s perfect and I don’t want to return it or get another one. This one is perfect.”
Taylor sighed and nodded, “I love you. These have been the best two years.”
Colton smiled, “I love you too. And I’m glad because they’ve been mine.”
++
“When I met you I knew I had a lot to prove and I’d like to think I did a good job at it, seeing as how we’re here.” Colton spoke smiling across from his soon to be wife. “I am going to spend every day with you continuing to prove to you that you’ve made the right choice. I’m in love with you Taylor Swift and I knew it way before you even knew who I was and maybe that’s creepy but to me it’s just more proof we’re meant to be. You’re the girl of my dreams and I promise to love and cherish and provide for you from this moment on. I love you Swifty and I will love you forever.”
The wedding guests awed and some even clapped after Colton’s speech before quietly and focusing on the bride.
“I’ve made a lot of speeches in my life and this is by far the most important one to date. I didn’t see you coming, Col, and I was sure you were going to be another song, another boy in the google search bar of who has Taylor Swift dated. You’ve given me the world and I love you so much and so deeply. I’m so thankful for you and I’m so happy you’ve stuck by me from the first barn dance to the Grammy’s after party. I’ve put you in a terrible position but you’ve handled it so well. Not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for putting you in my life. You’re it, Colton, you’re my person for the rest of my life and I love you so much. Thank you for being the boy that I’ll never have to write a song about.”