American Girls

Chapt. 11

"Yeah I remember. It still doesn't make it better. Nor does it excuse why you're here right now in my office, asking me about Taylor." Karlie shoots back quickly.

Lily pauses, this time giving Karlie a moment to breathe before responding again.

"I just want to say this one thing to you. If you let me do that, then I'll leave and I won't bother you again." Lily bargains. Awkwardly she bounces on her heels, awaiting Karlie's response.

The younger girl stares hard with her piercing green eyes. Pondering over what she should do. Did she really want to handle this right now? Right when she thought she could have all of these business things happening in her life right now? Two seconds ago she was already breaking her own rules, thinking about the singer again. Was it so hard to not talk about Taylor Swift?

Apparently, that topic is unavoidable.

"Fine." Karlie mumbles in defeat. Sinking down into her office chair visibly exhausted, and gesturing for Lily to do the same. Which the model thankfully accepts, sitting down across from her and engagingly leaning forward.

"I don't care what you think, or how much you may protest but I do know you. You let me see who you were before the fame. Before I hurt you and you shut down from everyone you've ever known. Derek, your sisters, your parents, and now Taylor. That girl, she loves you Karlie. She loves you more than I've seen anyone love another person before. And you know the shitty part of it all? Is that you feel the exact same way but you're too afraid to admit that."

Karlie's throat has run dry and her heart beats rapidly in her chest. She doesn't think she'd know how to form a sentence right now even if she tried. Lily wasn't telling her anything she didn't already know.

"I know I hurt you. But that was me, not her. And for the record what I did to you was not okay, but things do happen for a reason. Do you think you would've found this with Taylor if that had never happened?" Lily questions, capturing Karlie's full attention again. She never thought of this that way.

"What I'm trying to say is, would losing Taylor really be worth it? Because when a love like that walks out, you'll regret it for the rest of your life." Lily concludes, standing from her seat.

As the singer is zoned out and pondering over what's just been said, a small smile of victory graces Lily's face, knowing she have Karlie something to think about. Satisfied, she ties up her coat and prepares to leave.

"Before I go," Lily says pausing now at the door and glancing into Karlie's vulnerable eyes. "Dixie asks about you still, to this day." She said sadly, Karlie's breath catching in her throat and tears gathering in her eyes. She feels like she can't speak, it was awful loosing Lily, and ten times harder loosing that little girl. They were like best friends at the time. She had Karlie wrapped around her finger. It all felt so, surreal at the time.

"I was wrong for separating you two, the way I did. I truly am sorry." With that, Lily takes her leave and Karlie's alone again.

Sinking back into her office chair, her hands find her hard and she softly cries. It's been an emotional and heightened past two weeks, surprises like this popping up make it all harder. Grabbing her jacket she decides she needs some fresh air.

Without security this time. Karlie liked to be alone to think, security always trailed her like a petty distraction. As much as she appreciated them, she couldn't stand them. Any person in the industry would tell you that.

So sneaking out the back door was easy, and soon enough she was already lost in thought on her way down the road.

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