A Cruel Summer

Chapter 14

"So, what's up with you?" Selena asks before taking a bite of her salad, "Are you still talking to that football guy?"

Taylor and Selena were having a relaxing afternoon at Taylor's LA home. Having come to LA for a meeting with AMC about the rollout of her Eras Tour film, it was the perfect opportunity to catch up with her old friend. They spent the early morning sunbathing and swimming in her pool, and are now enjoying a late lunch.

Taylor looks up, shrugging her shoulders before staring back down at her food, picking at it with her fork.

"Over it already?" Selena questions, "I'm not all that surprised. He's not your usual type."

Taylor sighs, "No, not really. We've been texting and stuff. He's a nice guy, really funny. But he's just kind of, I don't know, dumb? Sometimes I feel like I'm actively losing brain cells, just from talking to him," she says with a sigh, eliciting a laugh from the brunette. "I'm going to his game this weekend, though. Kind of agreed to it in the contract for that Super Bowl commercial we're doing together. I don't know, maybe it'll be better in person."

"Well, that will surely make the front page," Selena giggles, "Who knows, Tay! Maybe he'll sweep you off your feet in person. A new era Beckham-esque love story."

Taylor looks back at her friend, offering a meek smile, "Yeah, maybe."

Selena stares at her inquisitively, observing the uneasy look on Taylor's face. Having known the blonde for so long, she immediately can tell something is off.

"You're not telling me something."

Taylor looks back up, her eyes squinting, "What? What do you mean? I've told you everything going on with him. It's just not serious right now. It's really not anything right now. I mean, I haven't even talked to him in person for more than 2 minutes, Sel."

Selena relents, though she still feels that Taylor is leaving something out, "Okay, fair enough," she sighs, "Is he the only person you're talking to right now, or are there other prospects on the roster?" Selena asks, unable to stop herself from including in the football reference.

Taylor's lips unintentionally turn into a smile, as her mind drifts to Karlie.

After their date at the carnival, the girls were only able to meet up once more before Taylor had to leave for LA. She kept the model company as she toured different New York City homes for sale. Though she would never admit it, as they viewed each beautifully architected apartment, the little voice in Taylor's head kept telling her that whichever home Karlie picked had the potential to be the host of the new chapter of their story. That it could be the place where new lyrics are inspired, where she could get to know Karlie's children, where they could fall back in love with each other. And it downright terrified her.

---

"Tay, come here! Look! This one has a pool! Levi would lose his mind having a pool inside."

Taylor enters the room Karlie had called her from. She looks around at the open room, sunlight streaming in through the large skylight. Her eyes wander to the indoor pool, memories rushing back of the drunken nights they had spent splashing around in a similar one at the Cornelia Street apartment she had rented, years ago.

"Yeah, Kar, he'd love this," she says with a soft smile.

As they continue touring the apartment, Taylor observes Karlie as she slowly takes in each and every fixture and detail. Unlike the other apartments that had visited earlier in the day, it's clear that Karlie's excitement for this unit is palpable, her eyes lighting up with each new feature she discovers. Stepping into the spacious kitchen, Taylor is taken aback. The sleek, marble countertops gleamed under the soft glow of the pendant lights about. The gorgeous, forest green cabinetry exudes an air of both sophistication and hominess. With state-of-the-art appliances and a double oven built into the wall, it's a dream kitchen for anyone with an affinity for baking, such as Karlie.