A Cruel Summer

Chapter 21

AN: she is SHORT but gotta get the momentum going again

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The morning following the concert, Karlie wakes up to the soft glow of sunlight filtering through the curtains. As she stretches and yawns, she reaches for her phone on the bedside table. A message from Taylor awaits her.

TS: I can't tell you how much it meant to see you there last night. Glad Levi had a fun time! Such an unforgettable night for me. Give your sisters my best. Thank you for being there ❤️

Karlie can't help but smile at the message. She quickly types out a response.

"It was beyond words. You're incredible Tay."

Karlie sends the simple message, assuming Taylor intended to politely respond and does not want a full-blown conversation.

She switches from her iMessages to her private Instagram, where she follows the typical pop culture and celebrity gossip accounts that she can't follow on her main profile. As she scrolls, she sees post after post about Taylor's powerful moment the previous night. The internet is buzzing with reactions, most of which are seemingly positive, praising Taylor's bravery and celebrating her openness.

She switches to Twitter to see that #gaylor is the number one trending topic. Though she knows she should have expected it, she is surprised to find her own name also trending at number 3. She clicks on the tag to see a flurry of tweets.

'JKDHKSD KAYLOR IS REAL TAYLOR FUCKED KARLIE KLOSS'

'not to alarm anyone, but karlie kloss was at the show... and her son got the 22 hat... i am deaddddd'

'KARLIE KLOSS POST THE 3RD POLAROID NOW WE ARE BEGGING'

'blondie confirming she's a lying liar who lies and YAIL is about karlie fucking kloss and not lena fucking dunham we are blessed'

'how am i supposed to go to school knowing we have confirmation that taylor swift ate karlie kloss's kussy'

'some of y'all don't want to hear it but taylor literally told us that karlie kloss is her greatest love! her muse! her love that shifted the stars! dianna agron who? joe alwyn who??? travis kelce WHO?!'

Karlie is feeling a mix of amusement, surprise, and a slight hint of discomfort. The last thing she wants is for Taylor's big night to turn into a conversation about herself and speculation about their former relationship.

With a groan, she gets out of bed and makes her way into the living area of the hotel suite to find her sisters already awake and Levi on the couch watching 'Cars'.

"Did you see Taylor's post?" Kimby asks the moment she enters the room.

With a yawn and a stretch, Karlie says, "No, what'd she post?"

"You, bitch!" Kimby exclaims, "Well, kind of. The back of your head is in a picture, but she definitely hinted at you in the caption."

Confused, Karlie pulls out her phone and pulls up Taylor's Instagram.

She scrolls through the post. There are multiple pictures of Taylor performing, a video of her singing 'You Are In Love' and a photo of her handing the hat off, the back of her and Levi's heads at the center of the photo.

She reads the caption: "Last night in London was a dream. Surrounded by the people I love, sharing a moment I'll never forget. Thank YOU for making it special" Karlie notes the emojis at the end of the caption – a golden heart, a sun, and a rainbow.