Taylor was awoken the next morning by bright light streaming through the curtains. Groaning, she wriggled under the covers to shield her face, but in her wriggling her foot had kicked something. She froze. What the heck was that? Then she remembered Karlie had stayed with her last night. "Shit" she mumbled, rolling over to face her friend. Somehow she hadn't woken her up. Taylor couldn't help but smile at Karlie's sleeping face. It felt so nice to not have woken up alone for once. Suddenly Taylor's stomach gave a low growl. "Guess I'd better order breakfast," she thought, reaching across for the phone on the bedside table.
20 minutes later, Karlie woke up to the smell of cooked breakfast. Yawning and rubbing the sleep dust from her eyes, she looked over to see Taylor perched on the end of the bed with her back to Karlie, deeply engrossed with whatever she was watching on the television.
"You better have saved me something Swift" Karlie called across to her groggily. Her voice made Taylor jump.
"Karlie! Good morning!" She whirled round to face her. "I didn't wake you up did I?"
"You didn't, don't worry."
"I saved you some toast," Taylor passed a plate over to the model.
"Why thank you," Karlie took it and started munching on a slice hungrily.
"Did you sleep ok?" Taylor asked, crawling over to the head of the bed and sitting beside Karlie. Karlie nodded, and swallowed her mouthful of toast.
"Really well. Luckily for me, you don't fidget in your sleep."
"And you got plenty of duvet?" Taylor nudged Karlie, grinning.
"Surprisingly, yes," Karlie smiled, nudging her back.
"Thank you for staying with me, I really appreciate it." Taylor put a hand on Karlie's arm.
"You don't have to thank me, silly. It's nice that we can spend as much time with each other as possible." Karlie gave Taylor's hand a squeeze. It certainly sounded like Karlie had appreciated the company as much as her, Taylor thought, as she looked back into the model's eyes.
After breakfast, Karlie returned to her room, and the girls got showered, dressed and packed, all ready for the next day of their adventure. They met back at the reception, and the body guards carried their luggage back to the car for them. Taylor shook Mr Evans' hand and thank him sincerely for the hotel's hospitality, leaving him red faced and flustered once again.
"Bless him!" Karlie laughed, as they got back in the car. "I think you should've given him your number! He clearly had a crush on you." Taylor just shook her head. Even though she knew Karlie was completely joking, for some reason she felt uncomfortable with her suggestion. She shook the thought out of her head, and concentrated on the journey ahead.
"So, Big Sur is about 5 hours away, do you still wanna go check out the forest park and the beach when we get there?"
"Definitely!" Karlie was studying the route on Google Maps. "Looks like the forest park is an hour from the next lodge, so it's worth going there first."
"Cool", Taylor started the engine. "Let's go."
The first part of the journey was spent in silence, and Taylor began to worry. Had she said something to upset Karlie? She was so used to the model being extra chatty; she found it strange that she was being so quiet. She could see her totally engrossed with whatever she was looking at on her phone.
"Hey, you ok?" Taylor almost felt nervous to break the long silence.
"Hmm?" Karlie looked up. "Oh I'm fine, I just got a couple of texts from someone I'd really rather not hear from right now."
"Oh." Taylor was relieved it wasn't her causing the problem, but she didn't want Karlie to feel down, especially as they'd been having such a great time up until now. "Do you wanna talk about it? We've got plenty of time." Karlie shrugged.
"It's just this girl I've been trying to get over for a while." This shocked Taylor slightly. She hadn't expected Karlie to come out with that. "Well, we weren't together all that long, but we're in the same industry, and have the same circle of friends, so I still see her all the time. We're friends and everything; it's just difficult to move on when I don't get any space." Taylor didn't know what to say, all she could do was nod along with what Karlie was saying.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to put a dampener on things." Karlie sighed. Taylor wanted so badly to reach across and comfort Karlie, but she had to concentrate on driving.
"You haven't, I'm glad you feel like you can talk to me. I always feel so guilty; you're always the one listening to me and giving me advice. I want to return the favour. You haven't replied to the text have you?"
"No not yet. Toni was just asking how the trip was going and that the squad was missing me." Karlie gave a weak smile as she spoke, as if it was hurting her to know that Toni was missing her. Maybe it gave her hope that feelings were still there on the other end. Taylor understood that hope all too well.
"Maybe you should leave it a little while before you reply," Taylor suggested. "Simply because it gives her the impression you're having so much fun that you're too busy to respond straight away."
"I am having lots of fun, Taylor. I promise." Karlie reached a hand across and rested it on the hand Taylor was using for the gearstick. The sudden contact made Taylor's body jolt slightly; she hadn't been expecting the sudden contact.
"I know you are." Taylor glanced at Karlie to give her a reassuring smile. Despite the reassurance, Karlie kept her hand on top of Taylor's for a while longer, until they had to stop at a gas station for a toilet break.
"I won't be long," Taylor hopped out of the car.
"Don't stress, we've got the rest of the day to get there," Karlie assured her.
Taylor walked quickly across the station to the toilets. She stood in front of the mirror for a while, just staring at her wide eyed reflection. The last twenty four hours had felt so abstract. Suddenly she'd gone from spending days on end alone in her bedroom, to driving across the country with Karlie Kloss? She hadn't seen this coming. And she didn't want it to end.
"You took your time," Karlie teased, when Taylor finally returned.
"Well you said it was fine, so I took full advantage of it," Taylor fired back, clipping her seatbelt in. "Besides, I needed to sort my face out, I looked like some kind of monster."
"Tay, don't be ridiculous. You always look like a princess." Karlie said sincerely, whilst staring into Taylor's eyes the whole time.
"Ha, yeah right," was all Taylor could stay. She tried to brush off the compliment casually, despite the fact her cheeks felt like they were on fire. How could this girl be so lovely?
They arrived at the forest park in good time; it was just after 4pm when they pulled up in the car park. The area was vastly covered in greenery, magnificent trees surrounded them, the sun glittering through the leaves. The only sound to be heard was the tweeting of birds, and the wind which softly whistled through the branches. "This is perfect," Taylor breathed.
"Come on, let's go and explore," Karlie spoke quietly, as if she would disturb the peace of the forest if she were to speak at a normal volume.
With Taylor's body guards not far behind them, the girls began their trek through the forest. Suddenly Karlie gasped. "What's wrong?" Taylor looked at her, alarmed. Had she seen some paparazzi?
"I just realised we haven't taken any pictures!"
"Karlie!" Taylor hit her arm lightly.
"What was that for?" Karlie cried, clutching her arm, pretending she'd been hurt.
"I thought it was something serious! You worried me!" Taylor shook her head at the model.
"This is serious! We need to take some or it's like this never happened! Or does this not mean anything to you?" Karlie faked offence, putting her hand on her chest. Taylor sighed, but she couldn't help but laugh at Karlie's theatrics. Through it all, she knew this trip meant something to her. "You know it does, Karls."
Giving one of her bodyguards her phone, Taylor and Karlie posed in front of the 'Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park' sign.
"I'm gonna climb on top of it!" Karlie yelled excitedly, putting her hands on top of the giant piece of wood, and pulling herself up.
"Karlie be careful! You're such a big kid!" Taylor laughed, as Karlie managed to scramble up and balance herself on the top, stretching a leg and an arm out as part of her pose. You could tell the model was a trained ballerina from her chosen position.
"I'm fine! You need to chill out Mom!" Taylor just rolled her eyes at the brunette. Putting her own arms on the top of the sign, Taylor took a jump and managed to hang herself in mid air as her pose.
"Not coming up to keep me company?" Karlie called down. Taylor just shook her head. "You're such a chicken!" Karlie teased.
"Karlie, you know I'm one of the clumsiest people around, if I attempt to get up there I will fall off."
Karlie laughed. "You're probably right."
As they made their way through the woods, Taylor became certain it was the most magnificent place she'd ever seen. The pure isolation of it was something which awed her. She felt almost jealous of the creatures that inhabited the area. They would never know how lucky they were. Another feeling being here gave her was just how insignificant she was. Staring up at the trees looming down at her, she felt like a speck, a tiny dot in the whole picture of the world. All the millions of people who knew her name, that meant nothing here. In reality, she wasn't a celebrity, she wasn't special, she was just another living being, and surprisingly, it made her feel a lot more relaxed. Everywhere she looked was so pure and natural, completely juxtaposing the busy city life she was used to. She sat down on a rock to watch and listen to the trickling of the little stream flowing through the grassy bank. One of Taylor's favourite sounds was falling water; everyone knew it, purely due to the sheer amount of lyrics she wrote about rain. So this to her, was heavenly. Then she turned to see Karlie, who had also gone off in her own little world, stretching her arms out to balance her as she stepped along a fallen trunk, as if it were a tightrope. The model then caught her eye; Taylor looked away quickly. She didn't want to look as if she'd been staring. Karlie hopped off the tree trunk, and all of sudden she was sitting beside Taylor. The silence remained in the air; they just wanted to enjoy the rare surroundings and each others company a little longer. Taylor wasn't one to make impulsive decisions, but for some reason her hand had chosen to reach for Karlie's, and interlocked their fingers. Without even looking at Taylor, or their hands, without even registering the gesture, Karlie tightened her grip in Taylor's hand. The two of them stayed like that for a while, taking in nature at its finest, together.
"I seriously can't get over how beautiful that was," Karlie sighed. They were back on the road again, next stop, the coast. Taylor nodded in agreement. There were no words to do the place justice.
"We have to go back there another time," Karlie said. Taylor noted her use of 'we' straight away, and it made her heart jump with joy. "I'd love that," Taylor said quietly.
The sun was starting to set by the time they reached the coast, the sky a beautiful lilac shade, spreading across the sea, never ending. Taylor parked the car on a cliff face, and the two made their way across the grass. They stopped a moment to properly admire the view. The air felt crisp and cold, and the breeze tousled their hair, as they overlooked the waves lapping against the sand, and the seagulls flying overhead. It was then Taylor noticed a flash of colour in the corner of her eye, and she looked to the grass below her to see a single yellow flower. Smiling, the singer bent down and picked it from the ground. She twirled it around between her fingers. She loved the brightness of it, like it was a mini radiation of sunshine. "Hey Karls, I got you a present," she turned to her, showing her the flower.
"Oh wow Taylor, so generous, you shouldn't have," Karlie joked, smiling at Taylor's gesture.
"Look, you can use it as an accessory," Taylor gently tucked the stem into Karlie's tied back hair. "Beautiful." Karlie shook her head, still smiling.
"You're strange, but a cute kind of strange." Taylor just shrugged, trying her hardest not to blush.
The serenity of the beach was bliss. It was just past 6pm, and so the area was practically deserted, give or take a dog walker or two ambling past. Taylor watched Karlie as she wandered off to explore, stopping several times as she went, to take pictures on her phone. Crouching down, Taylor picked up a pile of sand, and watched it slowly slip through her fingers. The softness of the sand brought back many childhood memories: day trips to the beach with her parents and her brother Austin. She'd spent hours building the perfect sandcastle, just for Austin to charge into it and knock it down. She'd chase him into the freezing cold sea, and they'd splash each other, squealing at the iciness. As Taylor breathed in the familiar seaside scent, she couldn't help but wish she could relive those days, the easy days with next to no responsibilities. She looked up to see Karlie running towards her. "Let's go for a paddle!" She called. Taylor stood up, grinning.
"I'll race you!" She yelled back. Quickly, she darted past Karlie, laughing at the model's startled expression. She soon came to her senses though, and she was on Taylor's tail. She grabbed Taylor's arm, dragging her backwards. "Hey! You can't do that!" Taylor squealed, grabbing Karlie's arm in turn, trying to shake her off, but the model was far stronger than her, and before Taylor knew it, Karlie had pulled them both to the ground. They rolled around on the sand laughing and pushing each other. "You're such a sore loser," Taylor choked out breathlessly, her muscles aching with laughter.
"You cheated! You started running before I even had a chance!" Karlie protested, clutching her sides, trying to stop herself laughing any more.
"Come on," Taylor pushed herself up, and reached her hand out to help Karlie get up.
"Oh so now you wanna be nice," Karlie grinned, grabbing her hand and pulling herself up. She quickly dusted off the sand on her jeans, but she didn't let go of Taylor's hand.
They kicked their shoes off, and stepped into the water together, their steps in perfect synchronisation, and their fingers intertwined. The waves gently lapped against their ankles as they waded through, gradually getting deeper and deeper into the sea. It was as if they both had a united understanding that they had walked in far enough, and they both stopped, and admired everything around them. Taylor stole a glance at Karlie. She had her eyes closed, head back, just appreciating the freedom of the waters. But as Taylor looked at her, the screeching of the gulls and the crashing of the waves all became muffled, and the swirling colours of the evening sky became a blur. Karlie was the only thing in focus.
"This has been the best thing ever," Taylor's voice caused Karlie's eyes to snap open, and she turned to look back at her.
"I agree." Karlie's grip on her hand tightened.
"And I can't imagine anyone I'd rather be here with than you." Karlie's face broke out into the biggest smile. "I feel the same, Taylor." Taylor had never felt happier as Karlie wrapped her arms round her waist and pulled her into a hug. Taylor buried her face into Karlie's hair, taking in her comforting scent. If they could just stay here forever, it would be perfect.
"I'm freezing," she heard Karlie mumble.
"Me too, come on, let's go before we catch hypothermia," Taylor laughed, pulling away from the embrace. Turning to head back to the beach, she held her hand out for Karlie to take it in hers, and she didn't object.
"Oh, wait, before we leave," Karlie started, as they put their shoes back on. She handed her phone to Taylor. "You'll want to take a picture of this."
"Ok," Taylor said, confused, as Karlie crouched down onto the sand, and started drawing her long, slender fingers through the sand. Taylor craned her neck, trying to read what she was writing. "Oh, now that's adorable," Taylor breathed, when she could finally decipher it. Holding up Karlie's phone, she took as many pictures as she could, as she watched her write "Karlie <3 Taylor" into the sand, the yellow flower still tucked into the position in her hair where Taylor had placed it.
After Taylor's bodyguards had taken some more pictures of the pair, they sat on the beach, using Karlie's coat as their rug. "I really don't want to check in at this next lodge," Taylor admitted quietly, leaning into Karlie. The cold winds became more abrasive as the evening drew in, blowing down her neck and causing shivers to run down her spine.
"What do you mean? You can't sleep here, it's freezing," Karlie chuckled, putting an arm around Taylor, and gently rubbed her hand up and down her arm in an effort to keep her warm.
"I just like being here, with you."
"Tay, I'm not going anywhere." Karlie pulled Taylor in closer, as a physical reassurance.
"I know, I mean, once we get there, it's like everything goes downhill. Because the next morning is home time, so once we get to the lodge it's like we know we're reaching the end of our journey," Taylor rambled on, embarrassed by her inability to say how she felt without stumbling over her words, desperately trying to find the right ones to make Karlie understand her fears. Yes, she might be good at writing, planning lyrics, but spontaneous speech? She was just as awkward and imperfect at it as the next person.
"But it doesn't have to be the end," Karlie was staring into Taylor's eyes now, the greenness of them more piercing than ever. "This is just the start, and we have plenty of time to make loads more amazing memories."
"Nothing is certain though," Taylor broke away from Karlie's gaze, and stared out into the distance. Right now she felt like crying. "Life is so ruthless."
"Taylor, I'm so confused right now; you're being so cryptic. Talk to me," Karlie begged, placing a hand on Taylor's jaw, and gently pushing Taylor's head towards her, forcing Taylor to look at her once more. Taylor just shrugged, letting slip a sad smile as she did so. "I feel like there's something you're not telling me," Karlie said, her voice laced with worry. "All our deep chats about stuff, you've let me in on so much, but I just know there's something else that's hurting you."
"You're right, I am hurting," Taylor sniffed, trying not to let this overwhelming sense of sadness take over. "There's someone I've been trying to get over for a long time."
"Oh ok, an ex- boyfriend?" Karlie asked, with an expression on her face that Taylor couldn't quite interpret. "No," she shook her head. "About a year ago, I fell in love with my best friend, and it hurts so much because she didn't feel the same, and even now I can't get her out of my head." Taylor took a shaky breath. "Her name's Dianna."