Time has never passed as painfully as it has for Karlie since the day she told Taylor to leave. It's been a couple weeks now, she doesn't know how the time is passing so fast but it has.
When she woke up the day after she punched that photographer, she woke up to a massive amount of trouble. Penni was up to her neck in trying to do everything possible to save Karlie's ass. Still, her punch came with a fortune. The paparazzi insisted on pressing charges but with a silent small pay off and written up public apology, she was able to get off. Although, she still isn't entirely sure how Penni managed to swing that with them, since they had been insisting on pressing charges. She chalks it up to good luck and moves on because as embarrassing as that was she needed to recover. So she's resorted to laying low and working on the opening of her own studio. At the end of the week her life would change, taking on the responsibility of owning a serious business. She's already put her own career on the hold and in spite of how awful she feels, is pulling herself together. Her last few weeks have been busy finishing off the studio and signing a few new artists to work in her studio already. Even friends already in the industry have booked dates to record there to support her. For the first time in her life she's felt welcomed and accomplished. It was good, she didn't realize how much she has been lacking that feeling.
Of course she's heard Taylor's doing fairly well. But also, the mutual artist has been traveling and giving plenty of her own interviews. One day she mentions Karlie briefly and another she doesn't, the topic comes and goes. Taylor is getting ready to promote her album, and from the sidelines Karlie looked on proud. She made the choice to hold back her own feelings for fear that she's nothing but distraction. Karlie believed that if she told Taylor she loved her back, it was only a matter of time before Karlie ruined Taylor's life somehow and she couldn't do that. She couldn't handle pushing another person away, the fear of losing someone for the second time in her life was enough for her to act like she didn't care at all.
She just wants to protect Taylor.
As she decorates her new office with some personal photos and awards, a small knock comes at the door. Brushing back her suffocating thoughts she looks up and sees someone she never expected to be standing in her doorway.
"Lily?" Karlie mumbles softly, brushing her long blonde hair behind her ear and slowly standing to her full hight.
"Look at you, this is all pretty awesome." Lily speaks genuinely, as she slowly makes her way inside. Lightly brushing her finger tips against the wall she glances at the small things Karlie has hung so far, approaching the singers desk.
"What are you doing here.." Karlie asks with a dry voice.
"I came here neutrally." Lily informs, her hands up showing her hands in defense. Tucking her hands nervously in her back pocket she sighs. "Why are you pushing Taylor away?" She asks uneasily.
Immediately Karlie rolls her eyes, her entire body feels tense but she hopes it's gone unnoticed. The last thing she needed was for Lily to notice and mention it to Taylor, it meant nothing.
"After nearly three years of you up and leaving me in the middle of the night, you come back and have the audacity to ask me about Taylor? Come on." Karlie groans, her annoyance now shining through. Shaking her head in disbelief while opening a desk drawer and sliding a folder inside.
Still, Lily persists. Biting her lip she takes the blow silently. She earned it, she knows it.
"You're not wrong for being mad at me. What I did to you was, uncalled for. Completely unforgivable. Especially taking Dixie from you like that. But I've told you this, those few times we met up after...." the model trails off, glancing awkwardly down at her feet.
"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.
*****
Somehow it was already late afternoon since the singer came out of the studio and Karlie still finds herself mindlessly strolling the streets of New York City. It doesn't dawn on her that she's walked so long until a streetlight pops on overhead however. This entire walk she's been buried inside of her thoughts she didn't even realize she was in a shadier part of the city. Although relatively close to her place it would still take a paced run to get there. Instead, Karlie lights up a cigarette, a very rare occasion type-thing, and continues on her walk.
Pulling her jacket a little closer she begins to shake from the coolness of tonights wind. She recalls how windy it's been in New York this year, unlike itself. In superstition, something was probably coming. Back in reality it was getting darker by the minute, the sun long fallen behind the surrounding skyscrapers.
As Karlie walks she swears she can hear footsteps behind her, but she convinces herself she's imagining it. What if she wasn't though? This was a dodgy neighborhood and Karlie slipped out without security again. She gulps hard as she hears more steps and little noises she came make out. Silently, she regrets not listening to Taylor for once. The woman made her promise not to go out alone anymore after she had gotten Taylor to run off with her once without security and Karlie eventually said she wouldn't. Now here she was, going back on her promises and rolls her eyes thinking about all those times Lily used to swear by karma. Karlie liked luck better, up until recently she'd like to think she'd had a fair share of it. As she cuts the road and comes up onto the next block, she focuses again and takes notice that this block's particular street light was out. The street light being out was the last thing she remembers before she somehow trips on something she first assumed was a piece of broken sidewalk, maybe even a root of a tree. However, when as she opens her eyes it's only mere seconds later that she's tugged up to her feet by her hair before she can even grasp what's going on. Someone behind her- she doesn't know who, pushes her forward and into an even darker alley way.
Pushed fairly far in, she takes the opportunity as getting a second to regain some sort of self control, she flips her hair out of her face to get a clear look at whoever the hell it was that just grabbed and attacked her that way. A cold sting on her chin causes her to touch her face, feeling something sticky she looks down and notices it's blood. Not that it was much of anything but Karlie already feels fairly scraped up from the fall alone. When she gets her eyes to focus she sees a women, she's quite older than her. The attackers hair is long and it may be brown but it seems like a dull red, her face is worn and experienced. Some dirt streaks her cheeks and the wrinkles on her forehead. For her clothes, she only has a ratted hunter green tee shirt and pants far too large for her frail body. Despite how scrawny she is and her age, she packs a hard punch and is undoubtedly stronger than Karlie was. Thinking back on this, Karlie would likely say experienced was the right word.
As for right now, she just wants to know what the hell is going on.
"Who the fuck are you." Karlie spits some blood in disgust before being punched in the right cheek.
"You stepped on my leg." The woman- who Karlie clearly determines to be homeless barks back.
So that's what I tripped on? It didn't feel like that.
"Were you following me?!" Karlie accuses, unable to piece together how this even happened while actively trying to dodge the still angry strangers fists but she's not being quick enough. This one getting her in the left eye. Before she can even respond, another to her left temple, which completely knocks her onto the ground. Any fitness or boxing training she's had has completely left her mind. Karlie can't remember how to defend herself.
"I wasn't following you, crazy bitch! You stepped on my leg!" The homeless woman shouts, getting a few good kicks in while Karlie pleads that she didn't mean to bother the woman and just tripped accidentally but her pleas seem to be no use.
If Lily was right and fate or karma were real, maybe this is what she got for pushing Taylor away and for punching that paparazzi.
Or maybe, it just wasn't her month.
The woman eventually leaves on her own once she must feel like her punishment is served. Karlie, bleeding and sore, takes a few minutes to be able to stand on her own two feet again. She does it however, because she somehow finds the strength. Likely knowing there could be more, or worse, where that came from around here. Hunched over and desperate she pulls out her phone and quickly looks up where she's even at.
Seeing her own location through a but of a blur puts a larger pit in her stomach than those kicks just did. When she's sure there's absolutely no mistaking it, she shamefully makes her way slowly and very painfully out of the alley and eventually a whole three blocks away. Stumbling up to an all too familiar stairway she falls from exhaustion against the front door. Her strength finally giving out, she's just tired and thankful she's made it this far. A security guard quickly spots her and jogs his way over, dragging the girl inside.
"Karlie?" Taylor exclaims from the staircase. If time was for once in her side, Taylor had apparently just returned home from California mere minutes before Karlie showed up. Taylor felt and appeared as jet lagged as expected when sitting for a tapped interview that's filmed across the country. Looking down she sees exactly what she thought she did, dropping her bags where she's at on the stairs and rushing back down them as quickly as possible, she knows there's no mistake now, it's Karlie. As soon as she reaches flat ground she makes her way over in long strides to a battered Karlie, taking over holding her from her security guard.
"What should I do?" He asks eagerly.
"Just leave us to talk." Karlie mummers out. Taylor looks worried and she ponders that over but she ultimately agrees, telling her security it was okay to leave and that she'd be upstairs in a minute. Directing him kindly to take those bags upstairs she had dropped up to the apartment and to please prepare some ice bags. Reluctantly, they go.
"You've really busted yourself, Karlie." Taylor comments, helping her over to the nearest wall to sit down against it. Looking around her she's quickly pissed off that she paid $20 million dollars for a lobby with no chairs, she sighs and refocus to Karlie again. Looking around once more and thinking quickly Taylor runs off, her heels clicking loudly as she grabs a box of tissues from the small lobby table, a cup of water, and a small plastic garbage can.
"I didn't do it to myself." Karlie mumbles out with a small smile, trying to crack a joke and make Taylor laugh. She doesn't through and Karlie frowns.
Kneeling down gently, Taylor dips the tissue just barley into the cup of water before reaching out and trying to softly dab the blood from Karlie's bruised face. Looking into Taylor's blue eyes Karlie begins crying uncontrollably. She picks up her left hand, holding it against Taylor's own that was wiping off Karlie's left cheek.
"Karlie.." the older singer coos softly. Her eyes filled with worry, and still some anger. Nonetheless keeping her hand there and getting butterflies from the woman's touch.
"I'm in love with you." Karlie mumbles through old tears before crying harder, bringing Taylor's hand with her own to her face and supporting her elbows on her shaky knees. Crying hard into her hands she can't even bare to look at Taylor anymore. She's unbelievably pissed at herself for just blurting it out like this. She wanted to tell Taylor, but showing up beaten and broken wasn't the plan whatsoever; now she just felt embarrassed. Feeling her burning touch again, fuck, even seeing the singer was enough to shatter Karlie. She didn't want to be tough anymore, Karlie wanted to be vulnerable. As overdue as it may be, she wants Taylor to know she loves her. She's been hiding for years and she's tired, Karlie doesn't want to be tired anymore.
Stunned, the older woman slides forward and gets down on her knees and carefully sliding between Karlie's legs. Placing her hands delicately on Karlie's temples she kisses the top of the battered woman's head. "We'll figure this out Kar, I'm not going to leave you." She mumbles reassuringly against Karlie's head. Feeling the younger girls uneven sobs she gently pulls her closer to her own body. When Karlie told her to leave, she truly convinced herself that the woman never cared. That everything was fake and that she was led on. However something inside her knew who Karlie really was, she's never felt her emotions so heightened and as vibrant as she does when Karlie's around. Hearing not only that the singer loves her but that she's in love with her, was the fairytale she'd always dreamed about. And not the fake ones, the real one.
Being able to experience love, with someone who loves you right back.
Plus now having her here with her head cuddled into Taylor's chest and their bodies close, how could either of them really let this connection go?
Fairytales however, end as quickly as they begin. Her moment ends as quickly as it begins as something inside Taylor Swift runs cold, when she swears she sees the unmistakeable flash and hears the click of a camera outside.
"Karlie," Taylor warns cautiously. "We need to go, now."
*****
Getting Karlie to her feet and a few steps down the hall into an elevator was harder than Taylor could've ever imagined it would be. Nonetheless, they make it there and luck must've been on Taylor's side somehow, it was unoccupied.
"What's going on?" Karlie mumbles, leaning against Taylor for support.
"I'll tell you later." Taylor responds vaguely, not looking at Karlie this time. When the elevator door reaches her floor she's relieved to see a member of her security waiting there. Seeing them step out of the elevator he quickly approaches the two women, taking Karlie fully so Taylor could get the door open.
Once inside the apartment, the security member takes Karlie to the couch and helps her get settled. When he finishes he checks in with Taylor, who is getting a few of the prepared ice bags before he leaves.
"She's all settled on the couch, ma'am."
"Thank you Ian, I'll call if I need anything else but could you just let me know if any suspicious, articles, pop up?" Taylor attempts to ask vaguely. Her entire team obviously knows about Karlie, it's just that they don't talk about it. The singer isn't aware of who exactly in her team knows what details and she never feels obligated to tell them. This was one of those "they work for me" moments where Taylor has to remind herself she's the one in charge, and not asking for any type of permission no matter how much she didn't like being that person. If an article came out about her and Karlie, she doesn't know what she'd do.
Especially if it had that photo attached to it.
"Absolutely, I'll keep in touch." He says, bringing Taylor back into reality before he's giving her a pleasant smile and finally exiting the apartment. With a deep breath, Taylor heads back into the living room, her heels are the only sound in the apartment right now, clicking against the hard wood floor.
Seeing Karlie so hurt on the couch completely broke Taylor's already aching heart. She's been so angry these past few weeks, she didn't know how she would react when she saw Karlie again for the first time. This, was not on the list of scenarios she created in her hear. Rather disappointed, and entirely exhausted, she makes her way over. Kneeling in front of Karlie once again but this time silently and with a sad smile, she doesn't care to hide anymore either. She places one ice bag in Karlie's hand, ordering her nicely to put it on her face. When she complies, Taylor takes the other bag to hold herself and gently begins lifting Karlie's shirt.
"Hey-" Karlie says immediately, trying to pull her shirt back down but Taylor stops her.
With just a hint of a glare Taylor gives Karlie a look she can't ignore. Defeated again, she rolls her eyes and helps Taylor with taking her shirt off. A little cocky the entire time, she may be bruised and swollen but she still wanted to remain some kind of confidence around the other singer.
"Jesus Christ." Taylor mumbles. Her head falls down and to the side, taking a breath and short moment to collect herself and put a wall up on her personal feelings before looking back at the woman. It wasn't pretty of course, large bruises covered most her abdominal and she's mostly beaten on her left side. Her upper body is swollen and looks tense, Taylor can visibly see parts of her injuries still throbbing. She wants to cry, instead she bites her lip nervously and forces herself to look back up.
"Excuse you?" Karlie lightly jokes. All she wants right now is for Taylor to smile. She knows how bad this is, she didn't want Taylor to know how much the pain really hurt though. Never did she plan on Taylor seeing her life this, unfortunately her apartment was close and she needed to get inside before paparazzi found her. Now, Karlie just takes the silent time to watch her. In doing so, she visibly saw the extent of her injuries affect Taylor negatively, and her heart pounds hard in her chest because of this.
Bringing Taylor pain is the last thing Karlie would ever want. And yes, she regretfully knows that's too late. She's done damage to Taylor that could never be undone.
Forgiven, never truly forgotten. One of the biggest burdens in life, our internal fears of just simply letting go.
"Sorry." Taylor sighs, shaking her head as if to rid the thoughts away before taking the second ice pack and placing it on Karlie's most bruised ribs. "It's not pretty." Taylor mumbles as she shifts the ice bag. To which Karlie flinches her battered body away but Taylor firmly steadies her with her opposite hand on the other side of her body. Karlie can't help but notice how her own skin feels like fire under Taylor's touch. Her throat runs dry, her body completely tense. She recalls how she told Taylor she's in love with her, and how she has yet to say anything back. It's not something she thought she'd say aloud but now that it's out she doesn't even want to take it back. She needed to be an adult, she needed to accept responsibility for her own actions and most of all; she needed to let herself feel again. Taylor Alison Swift, made her feel again.
Even if she didn't know it.
"How did this happen?" Taylor asks tentatively, her eyes flickering up to meet Karlie's.
There's pain so deeply imbedded inside of them it makes Taylor's body shake. Karlie's looking down at her, in the worst shape that Taylor's ever seen her. She doesn't understand any of this, sure Karlie hadn't been doing well but how hard did she push someone to do this much damage to her?
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Karlie scoffs jokingly, a little blood still coming off a cut on her bottom lip. Noticing how irritated her joke makes Taylor, she feels bad. Lifting her hand slowly to the woman's face she puts her hand under her chin, trying to lift it too look up at her. Taylor resists for a second but as Karlie lightly flinches from trying to hard she gives in, giving Karlie a last chance for the truth.
"My brain has been clogged for days since I left your apartment. I went for a walk tonight, I slipped out. Being in my head I ended up in a shady part of town, I guess I tripped over a homeless woman I didn't see and she pretty much threw me into an alley and kicked my ass." Karlie explains rather dead panned. Taylor's mouth falls slightly agape however she doesn't say anything just yet.
"Told you, you wouldn't believe me." Karlie shakes her head, taking the ice pack and lifting it over her eye before tilting her head up and staring silently at Taylor's ceiling.
"I just don't get why she attacked you like that..." Taylor mumbles finally.
"I wish I knew too." Karlie grits through a tight mouth. She didn't even understand how it all happened, how she managed to even trip was a mystery to her. Sure she wasn't looking at the ground where she was but you'd think she would've seen a person lying there? Was she seriously so consumed in her own thoughts that she missed an entire adult body? None of it made any sense to her, just like it hadn't to Taylor but there was nothing else to explain about the situation. Except..
"I did think someone was following me.." Karlie says quickly, sitting up a bit too fast and making her feel dizzy. Taylor sits up as well to help her, putting a hand on Karlie's shoulder to help steady her. Completely unaware that Karlie's skin felt as though it was burning under Taylor's touch.
"Seriously?!" The older singer exclaims, her worried blue eyes searching Karlie carefully. Possibly taking the sweet time to study the bruises on the woman's torso, so she could more or less check out Karlie's still toned abs. Getting a grip she shakes her head and remembers what she thinks she heard and saw when they were downstairs. Her thoughts drift for a few minutes until Karlie's unexpected voice grabs her attention again.
"I've made a lot of mistakes, Taylor. I shouldn't have done what I did and I have a hard time expressing how I feel sometimes. When I don't know how to handle things I just shut myself down." Karlie blurts out at random. Not meaning to, she can't stop herself once it's rolled off her tongue.
"We've played too many games together. I wasn't looking for this, you have to understand that." She pleas, her voice shaking anxiously.
"I do understand that Karlie, I have since we met, I've done nothing but understand. You however, you run. There's only so much running a girl can take before she has to let go." Taylor says sadly, looking at Karlie with painful eyes.
Steadying herself as best she can and giving Taylor a stern look she shakes her head, "that's bullshit. We both know it, I'm not running anymore I'm right here. You've changed me, I'm trying to do the right thing." Karlie says strongly.
"I've been a hurt person for a long time, and you've made me feel again. That night in Paris, when we talked about our potential future, it scarred me." She admits sheepishly. "I've been running from you ever since then, hell maybe even before that and it's irresponsible. We're adults, I want to be your girlfriend Taylor there's no more time to waste, I don't know what we're waiting for." Karlie expresses breathlessly, now that she's expressed herself she couldn't stop the built up words from spewing out. Sure she feels awful dumping all of this on Taylor but she deserved to know all of the truth and Karlie can't hide herself from the woman anymore, she's in love with her. Hiding, it's no use anymore. She wants to be vulnerable.
Taylor brings a shaky hand to her own face, she doesn't know what to say or think. This was everything she wished she could hear from the woman for months and now that it's right in front of her she has no idea what to do. Karlie notices the uneasiness beside her, reaching out quickly and taking a hold of Taylor's unoccupied hand. The immediate connection of their hands sends a wave of shives down both of their spines. As if in some kind of slow motion, Karlie dared and steps a bit closer. Tenderly, she reaches out with a wince and moves some of Taylor's hair behind her ear.
"Karlie.." she warns, knowing it's no use. It's her, it's them. The one thing she can't shake, the person she willingly runs full speed back to every time. And to see her this way? Pushing her away, was it ever an option to them? Now that they've met and experienced one another, a love unlike before, could either ever let go? Everything Karlie has said is right, and she feels the exact same way. Karlie may not have noticed but she's changed Taylor too. Being with the fearless woman has made Taylor brace herself. She wants that open love and that happy life she and Karlie dreamed up. For the first time in her life she wants to put herself and her own feelings first, despite whatever the ridiculous media could throw at them. As long as Karlie was by her side Taylor knows she can face them. It's painfully clear she'd do anything for this woman, she'd likely run to the ends of the earth with her.
All Karlie would have to do, is ask.
"I told you I'm in love with you." Karlie whispers, her lips brushing against Taylor's own. The visible fear that sounds from her voice brings tears to Taylor's eyes. When's the last time Karlie has shown her soul like that? The last time she let her true feelings be known and dared to speak them? Taylor felt honored to be the one she shared herself with.
"I know you did." Taylor mumbles back, moving forward and lazily wrapping her long arms around Karlie's defined neck.
Day dreaming in her eyes there's love, and there's tears. Confusion pulls at them both.
"I know you did, but I'm so mad at you." She repeats, those eyes still illuminated with hurt. And her lips still so soft, brushing with temptation against her own.
"Good that's fine I can take it," Karlie challenges back, "I'm mad at me too. I'm pissed off, but I still love you."
Sucking at her lips Taylor does everything in her power to try and not smile. Karlie Kloss just told her she loved her, not only did she love her but she's in love with her. Reaching up she runs her thumb delicately against Karlie's injured bottom lip, her eyes flickering between her eyes and her lips before she moves in even closer.
"I'm in love with you too." She whispers shortly, her eyes frantically scanning Karlie's before not being able to hold it in, the overwhelming feeling overcomes her and she connects her lips against Karlie's. It takes a moment, but Karlie gives in to her internal fight, somehow she was made for Taylor as she kisses her like she's never kissed anyone else in her life. And boy, does Taylor know it.
That specific feeling rolls through Taylor's body like a train ready to derail from its tracks. Like fireworks erupted in her stomach and as if life's never felt as good as it has when she has Karlie by her side.
Into a very heated make out session Karlie slightly separates. "Normal American Girls don't kiss their best friends." She whispers breathlessly before Taylor grips her by her collar and pulls her back against her own lips. Everything feels heightened and nothing feels like it can touch them.
Until Taylor remembers Karlie and what she told her about being attacked, and remembers what she meant to tell the woman before she was not so rudely distracted. Hands lightly on Karlie's chest, she pushes gently until the other singer separates from her.
"I don't care.." Taylor giggles darkly against Karlie's lips, moving her attention to Karlie's neck. Kissing it slowly, making sure her warm breath pushes its way against each kiss, each time a shiver running through the younger singer.
"Since when don't you care?" Karlie asks, lightly pushing at Taylor's shoulders. Looking at her with confusion, she's never heard Taylor act like that before.
"Listen, it's nothing. I think I've made some proper decisions of my own to move forward with myself but I don't want to tell you them just yet." Taylor says sweetly, mindlessly playing with the collar of Karlie's shirt.
Her arched brows lift in slightly confusion, she's silent for a moment but pleasantly nods her head in acceptance. Never thinking she would say it, she trusts Taylor. A big step, but a positive one.
"What?" Taylor laughs slyly, her head tilted in a challenging and seductive way. "Are you the only one who can change? Don't you trust me?" She jokes, kissing Karlie's cheek sweetly.
"I trust you." Karlie says tenderly, capturing the singers attention again and seeing how much it affects her. Slowly, she finds herself wrapping her arms back around Taylor's waist and pulling her close. Their eyes always connected, never breaking and it's intense. Each of them feeling it throughout their whole bodies.
"Wow, you trust and love me all in one day. Is it the thirteenth? Is this my lucky day?" Taylor jokes, her voice dripping with heavy sarcasm that Karlie attempts to be mad at yet breaks out laughing seconds later. And then they're sitting there on Taylors couch just engulfed in each other. The older singer soon adjusts herself to lay back and Karlie follows suit, laying back between the woman's legs. As two ice bags lay carefully placed on her aching body she gets as cozy as she possibly can, lightly fumbling with loose parts of the older woman's pants as she realizes quickly just how exhausted she is, her eyes begin to drift.
Taylor meanwhile, lays propped up against the couch behind her. Gently reaching out she plays with Karlie's hair and feels the younger singers body completely relax against her. Her fingers soothingly running in and out of Karlie's hair in a comfortable pace.
"We have a long road ahead of us." Taylor says through the silence. Her voice calm, steady, and tense.
Sleepily, Karlie painfully turns a little on her side and snuggles up to Taylor's body. Wrapping her arms around her right leg almost childlike and comfortably settles herself as much as she can before speaking.
"I'm ready for it," she mumbles, causing Taylor to lovingly smile behind her. "I'm not running anymore and I'm going to do things right, I'm promising you this." Karlie continues huskily, her voice imitating sleep as she lazily traces empty drawings against Taylor's right leg with her finger. Hearing her words makes Taylor's breath hitch and her heart pound, she knows she's in deep with this woman and she doesn't care. Quite frankly, she wouldn't give a damn if people found out.
As long as it's the right way. For now, that doesn't matter as she attempts to push the daunting thoughts of what she hunks she saw outside behind her. Karlie's here now, Taylor aches to just focus on the one person she's wished she had back by her side. Life felt pretty empty without the young, wild singer. No matter anyone else's attempts to make Taylor happy or the few dates she's been offered these last few weeks, looking down at the woman she's completely infatuated with her. Taylor knows in her heart she doesn't want anyone else.
"I hope you keep your promise." Taylor yawns neutrally yet cautiously, leaning further into the couch herself. Bringing Karlie with her as they get adjusted, both of their eyelids are now falling heaving from the extreme day they've had.
"I won't break it Taylor, I love you."
"I love you too, get some sleep baby." Taylor encourages, brushing more of Karlie's hair out of her face with a small loving smile.
"You too." Karlie mumbles before drifting off to a heavy sleep only seconds later.
Unfortunately, as soon as Karlie is sound asleep Taylor manages to suddenly be wide awake. Someone took a photo of Karlie and i.. is one of the only thoughts that races though the singers mind. I can't just deny that or act like it never happened, I swear it did. And she thought someone was following her... creeped out, she shivers. Who could've been bothering her? A fan isn't likely, they'd eventually give up and try to talk to her. And she says she tripped, yet she doesn't know how she did it? None of this could possibly make sense. Taylor lays there twirling Karlie's hair as she sleeps soundly and is thinking endlessly about everything that's happened tonight. Of course she's over the moon about Karlie's confession of love and them finally becoming official, but someone took a photo of them. It's not like it was some Instagram selfie, they were caught in a raw, intimate moment that didn't deserve to be caught on camera. It was theirs, no one else's. Nobody could take that from them.
Her main priority was to protect Kar and make sure they were okay. When Karlie had all of that trouble from punching that paparazzi she begged Tree to step in. Promising her the world if she did, Tree was soon contacting Penni and working out a game plan. Within two hours the stories were practically cleared up and gone. The driver has stayed silent and most importantly, Karlie was okay. She didn't think much of it, she'd help the younger singer any chance she got. The only reason she hasn't mentioned it to Katie is because they've simply been though enough, small fights defending one another's ego was pathetic and not worth it anymore. So she let it go. Taylor decides though all of this that truthfully could care less anymore if she was outed or if she decided to become public, she's in love and has no reason to hide that. At this point she's semi panicking and doesn't know exactly what she has to loose. How can you loose something when you have everything? When you have so much, you don't know what to even do with it anymore. But once again? she's reminded with the daunting reality that in that moment between them, what happened was absolutely intimate and again, no one had any right to take a photo of them. Who the hell could it be though?!
What about that paparazzi guy Karlie punched?
As if bells have gone off one by one in her head, Taylor scrambles carefully for her cell phone, making sure not to wake Karlie up. Finding it under her she pulls out the phone and opens a new text message to security. Typing it out fast with shaking hands she quickly presses send and is shocked to get a response so quickly.
Calmer now, and feeling like she may finally get some rest, Taylor yawns and sets her phone aside. Noting in her head that Karlie is an actual oversized lap dog, as she struggles moving around her with bushes giggles and light grunts. Reaching for the large throw on the stand behind the couch, Taylor drapes it over them both. Drifting to sleep peacefully, Taylor's anticipating a wild morning. From what she has planned to protect them, tomorrow already looked daunting and was only proving to be a hard day the more she thought about what she's even going to do. However if you asked Taylor to be completely honest, she absolutely cannot wait.
Taylor believes the paparazzi Karlie attacked did all of this, and he was going to have to pay for the damage he's done.
One way or another.