GETAWAY CAR

53. This Thing Is Breaking Down

Her hand is on my thigh as she holds me in place and I feel her fingers inch dangerously close to the hem of my dress. Her lips break away from mine and immediately start attacking my neck and before I know what's happening her hand is dancing under my dress. I let a soft moan pass my lips as her fingers connect with my core, but that's all it takes for me to snap back into reality. I push the woman off of me, "stop, I can't do this. I'm in love with Taylor, I can't."

Tears fill my eyes and I don't even give her a second to say anything else as I fix my dress and rush out of there. I basically run back to the table and grab my stuff, stealing my phone back from Gigi's purse and then getting out of that loud, dimly lit club.

I lean back against the wall outside and a sob escapes before I manage to clamp my hand over my mouth, letting tears silently fall down my cheeks. How could I do that to Taylor? How could I be so stupid? I knew this was a bad idea, I just knew it.

I pull on my coat as I stand in the freezing winter temperatures. I have no idea what time it is, I know it's late, probably close to midnight. I stand by the side of the road and hail a cab as it passes, asking him to take me to my apartment. I can't believe I let this happen.

•••
Taylor's POV

"I've got her." Cara picks Maisie up, the baby still sleeping as she balances her on her hip, Maisie's head resting on her shoulder as Cara keeps her hood up so that her face is covered. I do the same, pulling the hood of my hoodie up to keep my face hidden and hopefully remain unnoticed by paparazzi or fans.

Tilly is asleep in her car seat so I hook it over my arm as we make our way off of the plane. I use the car seat adapter to attach Tilly's car seat to Maisie's stroller. I cover the car seat and pull the strollers hood over just for extra protection and Cara holds Maisie close as we're escorted through the airport to the car waiting out the front.

We stayed as low-key as possible to try and avoid detection and thankfully it works as we get through the airport without even a second glance in our direction. Ian opens the door for me as I lift Tilly's car seat out and into the car, quickly following Cara as she clips a sleeping Maisie into her seat.

I sink back in my seat as I watch the city whizzing by. New York has always been the city that never sleeps; that was one of the reasons I fell so in love with it before moving here. There's always someone on the sidewalk and there's always something to do.

It's unusual to see the entrance to my apartment cleared of photographers. I can never get in or out without someone spotting me but tonight seems to be another story. Ian pulls up outside and the guys bring our stuff upstairs as we carry the sleeping kids. Lets just hope this trip is worth the jet-lag that I'm going I suffer through with them for the next few days.

"Just put her in my bed. I'll move her when I've set up the pack 'n play." Cara carries Maisie up to my room and I sigh as I take Tilly out of her car seat, quickly following in her footsteps. I lie the infant in the middle of the bed and grab the pack 'n play from the other room, grabbing the newborn napper extension that we haven't needed since Maisie was tiny. I pop it open and lift Maisie, carefully so that she doesn't wake up, and I lie her down. Cara appears out of the bathroom in her pyjamas a couple of seconds later and I grab change Tilly's diaper before lying her down in the newborn napper above Maisie.

I tell Cara I'll be back in a minute and I go back downstairs, putting some bags of breastmilk in the freezer for Tilly and grabbing whatever I might need for the night. Then I make sure all of the lights are off and make my way back upstairs to bed.

Cara's lying on one side of the bed and it looks like she's already asleep when I walk in so I carefully get into the other side and reach for the light to turn it off.

•••

Two hours. Two hours I've been tossing and turning and trying to fall asleep but without Karlie by my side I'm never going to be able to sleep. I sigh and roll over; 3:54am.

Tilly cries and I push myself up, scooping the baby up from the pack 'n play and carrying her out of the room with me. "What's wrong, baby girl?" I coo as I cradle her in my arms, walking up to my music room with her. There's a view of the whole city up here, I would write up here all the time and it always helped to clear my head. "Are you hungry? Or do you just want momma?" I sit down in a chair and cross my legs, sitting in front of the big window.

I came here for one reason and I know that. Karlie could either welcome me in with open arms and I'll tell her I'm sorry and apologise until I can't apologise anymore, or she could slam the door in my face and tell me that she's had enough and doesn't wanna do it anymore. The latter would be heartbreaking.

"Mommy just needs to suck it up and apologise, doesn't she honey." I sigh as Tilly kicks her legs in my lap. "Come on." I make an irrational choice and decide to go with it. "Here we go, princess." I zip the baby into her snowsuit since it's November in New York and nearly four o'clock in the morning, not to mention it's raining. I send a text to security and let them know I need them to pull the car around. I pull on a hoodie over some sweats and pick up the car seat, grabbing my phone and the diaper bag and leaving the apartment.

Ian is waiting outside and opens the door for me, so I do my best to shield the baby from the pelting rain and make my way as quickly as possible to the waiting car. "Where do you wanna go so early, Taylor?" Ian turns to me and I give him a sad smile as I secure Tilly, "Karlie's apartment."