Cliffs Edge [Kaylor]

five

"That's because you share a personality." Taylor quips, trying to hide how much she is melting on the inside at the cute little display she just saw.

Karlie pinches Taylor on the leg, and she flinches back so hard that Olivia almost flies off of her lap. Olivia lets out a pitiful little mewl and then clamors off of Taylor's lap, falling onto the couch cushion next to Karlie. She proceeds to curl up into a tight little ball, escaping from Taylor and Karlie's childish banter.

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Karlie whistles on her way to work the following Friday. She's had a very good week and she's not afraid to admit that she's actually happy. She's going to be able to put up her half of the rent for the month of August, her therapy sessions are no longer insufferable, and Taylor is a constant source of light in her otherwise bleak life. Karlie is still keeping her desire in check but she is no longer always on guard when she's in the singer's presence. It's impossible to not slip up every once in a while because Taylor has a knack for making everyone around her comfortable. Karlie has even fallen asleep on the woman's couch in the middle of Law and Order marathons, and it seems as if the two are always touching in some way nowadays.

When Karlie steps into the bar she's met with the sight of Derek and Jourdan sitting with their heads close together. It looks like she's just walked in on a serious conversation, and when they catch sight of her it quickly comes to an end.

"You're late." Derek greets her, glancing down at his watch.

"There was a lot of foot traffic from Tribeca." Karlie doesn't really need to explain herself to Derek but she decides to humor him.

"What were you doing in Tribeca?" He looks like he already knows the answer. Jourdan has a shit eating grin on her face that Karlie is pointedly ignoring.

"I was at Taylor's. We got breakfast together."

"Did you get breakfast together or did she cook you breakfast?" Jourdan interjects.

"She cooked, and it was the best omelet I've ever had."

"I told you she was fucked." Jourdan tells Derek, shaking her head while he just grunts in disapproval. Jourdan then turns back to Karlie, and rests a hand on her shoulder. "You're in too deep babe."

Karlie shrugs off Jourdan's hand and sits her satchel down on the bar. All she wants to do is get to work and get her shift over with because tomorrow morning she and Taylor are going on another Saturday walk. Jourdan and Derek seem determined to ruin her good mood and she's determined to ignore their negativity.

"You guys are so dramatic. We're friends, shut up."

"Oh yeah? Is that why you've barely been around this week? You literally come home to sleep and that's it." Jourdan challenges.

"Are you my mom now?" Karlie scoffs.

"Well someone needs to be."

Karlie gives Jourdan a hard look, and the temperature in the room seems to drop ten degrees. Derek's eyes widen and he shakes his head subtly at Jourdan, silently telling her not to start anything that she won't be able to finish. Karlie counts backwards from ten in her head. She tends to have a nasty temper at times, and her mood has officially taken a downward spiral.

"That was a low blow, I'm sorry." Jourdan breaks the tense silence. "We just worry, you know? We're all we have in this city, and Derek and I have been looking out for you for years. You usually tell us when something's up, and now you're just gone. What's going on?"