Taylor was browsing the aisles of the grocery store, restocking on some things she desperately needed when her phone started going off. She shifted the basket from her hands to her elbow as she quickly searched through her bag, pulling out her phone to see her brother's name flashing on the screen.
"Hello?"
"Hey. I got your text. What's up?"
"Nothing really. I was just wondering if Mom had mentioned what you guys were doing for the 4th?"
"Mmm." Austin hums thoughtfully. "She hasn't said much to me. But I know she mentioned a while ago that she wanted to try and go to Rhode Island. Why?"
"Well..." Taylor trails off hesitantly. "I was kind of thinking I might go with you guys this year."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. I'm free that whole weekend and I was thinking it might be nice to get away for a bit."
"Is everything okay?" Her brother asks, obviously concerned.
"Yeah, things are fine." The songwriter double checks her list, making sure she's got everything she needs before heading to the check out. "It's just been awhile since I went there and I miss you guys. I thought it might be nice to spend some time with you all."
"Mom and Dad would love that. You should totally come with us."
"You don't think they'd mind?"
"God no! Why would you even think that? You know how much they miss you."
"I don't know. " Taylor says quietly, stepping up to set her items on the conveyor belt. "I don't even know for sure if I'm going or not. I don't want to just show up out of the blue."
"Yeah, that might not be the best idea. Mom would probably have a heart attack." Austin chuckles. "But I bet Dad would love it. I swear he doesn't even care that he makes it obvious you're the favorite child."
"I'm not the favorite." The blonde argues, but she knows her Dad is definitely one of her biggest cheerleaders in life. "I don't know. I'll think about it."
"Wait, what about Karlie?"
"What about her?" Taylor sighs, swiping her card after the cashier gives her the total.
"Are you sure you don't want to spend it with her?"
"I mean, I've definitely thought about it. And I'd really like that. But she said she usually spends it at home with her family. I don't wanna get in the way of that. Her family is really important to her." She grabs all of her bags, smiling at the clerk before exiting the store and making her way back to her apartment.
"Well... What if she came to Rhode Island with you, or if you went there with her? That way you guys would still be spending it together."
"You don't think it'd be too soon for that?"
"Too soon for what? Meeting the families?"
Taylor hums in confirmation.
"Don't worry about that. Just do whatever feels right for you. There's no rush if you're not ready, but if you want to spend it together, do it. Just talk to her about it. I'm sure she'd be open to it."
"Thanks Aus." Her phone beeps with an incoming call. She pulls her phone away to check the screen. "I gotta go. Sel's calling me and if I don't hurry, I'm going to end up dropping these bags in the middle of the street."
"Don't do that." Austin laughs. "But seriously. Think about it. It won't hurt to talk to Karlie about it."
"I will. I'll talk to you soon okay?"
"Sounds good. Bye T."
Taylor adjusts the bags in her arms to get a better grip on the handles as she taps her screen to switch calls. "Hello?" She breathes out.
"Hey, are you okay?"
The songwriter shifts the bags again so she can prop her phone to her ear to hear better. "Yeah, why?"
"You seem out of breath and everything."
"I was shopping Sel. My arms are loaded with bags that I'm pretty sure are ready to break any second. Luckily I'm almost back to the apartment."
"Oh." Selena chuckles. "That's good. I was a little worried."
"Worried about what?" The blonde asks, rounding the corner and sighing in relief as her apartment comes into view.
"You."
"Why were you worried about me?" Taylor asks, climbing her steps.
"You haven't seen it yet, have you?"
"Haven't seen what?" She asks, setting one of her bags down so she could rummage in her bag for the key. She pulls it out and sets it in the lock.
"You're on the cover of OK! magazine."
Taylor freezes, her keys clanking loudly as they drop to the ground.
"Yeah..." Selena drawls out quietly. "I wasn't sure if you knew or not. That's kind of why I called you. I wanted to make sure you were ok."
"I had no idea." Taylor says quietly, bending over to pick up her keys. She turns the lock and pushes the door open.
"Karlie didn't mention anything about it?"
The songwriter scrunches her eyebrow in confusion, kicking the door shut behind her. "What does Karlie have to do with anything?"
The brunette sighs. "She's on it too. It's a picture of the two of you walking around the city."
Taylor sets her groceries down and leans her back against the kitchen counter. She has a pretty good idea of when the picture was taken. It's most likely from their walk the other day. She plops down on one of the stools with a heavy sigh.
"How bad is it?" Taylor asks, dreading her friend's answer.
"It's not too bad. There's a small caption about you guys." Selena says evasively. "It's actually a cute picture of you both. You guys look really happy."
Taylor smiles a little. She wonders which picture it is they published. "What's the picture like?" She asks, getting up to grab her I-pad to see if she can find it.
"Oh you know, just two tall gorgeous blondes walking around looking absolutely adorable."
"Sel!" Taylor laughs at her friend's teasing, but it's quickly replaced by silence as she pulls up the photo herself. It wasn't hard to find at all. She gasps at the bold headline printed across the magazine.
'Summer love? Supermodel Karlie Kloss out and about with her mysterious new girlfriend.'
She looks at the picture Selena is talking about and can't help but smile. They happened to capture a perfect moment. Karlie has her arm wrapped around her protectively and she's leaning into the model's side. Her eyes are scrunched shut and she has a small smile on her face as Karlie is leaning over kissing the top of her head.
"Told you it was cute." Selena says, knowing by her friend's gasp and the sudden silence that followed meant she found the article.
Taylor stares at the picture, feeling a strange mix of emotions. It's weird to see her face plastered on the cover of a magazine, not to mention it being such an intimate shot of them. It feels a little invasive. But at the same time, she can't help but acknowledge the way her heart flutters as she recalls everything that happened before and after that moment. She also has to admit to herself that she and Karlie really do make a cute couple. "Is that the only one?"
"Mmhmm." The brunette hums. "There's a little snippet of you guys in the "Spotted" section. It mainly talks about Karlie being a local and how she hasn't been seen with anyone in a while. They keep referring to you as the mystery blonde."
"I'm honestly a little surprised they haven't dug around and printed every little detail of my life by now."
"Me too." Selena adds. "But you've always been good at keeping yourself off the radar. People would be surprised if they knew who you were and how well connected you are. It helps you've got so many pseudonyms."
"Yeah, you're probably right." Taylor laughs at the jest.
"So how are things with you guys?"
Taylor smiles at the sincerity of her friend's tone. "They're good."
"Good? That's all I get?" Selena teases.
"They are though!" Taylor laughs. "Karlie's still being amazing as always. She's also been really over protective about all this attention our relationship has been getting."
"As she should be." Selena says drily. "She still treating you well?"
"Yes mom." Taylor mocks. "She's still amazingly sweet and a perfect gentleman. You don't need to worry about that." Taylor sighs quietly, shaking her head at her friend. "She makes me really happy Sel. Like, I can honestly say I've never been this happy in my life. She's just so perfect."
"Good. I'm really happy to hear that. If she wasn't, obviously I'd have to kick her ass."
Taylor barks out a laugh, knowing her friend is over-protective, but also knowing she would never be able to kick Karlie's ass. "Right." She drawls out.
Selena chuckles. "Are you guys doing anything for the 4th?"
The songwriter sighs and the brunette immediately picks up on it. "What, what's wrong?"
"Nothing." Taylor dismisses. "I don't know. I don't think so."
"You don't think anything is wrong, or you don't think you're doing anything for the 4th?"
"I don't know Selena." Taylor groans in frustration. "Both I guess."
"Okay. I'm gonna need you to elaborate a little babe. What's going on?"
"Well, she kind of brought that up when she was here the other night."
"What did she say?"
"She asked about my schedule and then mentioned she was off for the holiday and that she usually spends it with her family. Then she asked if I had any plans. So I told her about our summer house, and that it's where I used to go, but I told her I haven't been there in years."
"Well, is your family going out there this year?"
"Yeah. I actually talked to Austin about it earlier."
"Do you think you'll go?"
"I thought about it. I kind of want to. I haven't been there in ages, and I do miss it."
"But?" Selena probes, sensing more.
"I kindawanttospenditwithkarlie." She mumbles.
"What?" Selena laughs, not having the slightest clue what the blonde just said.
The songwriter sighs. "I guess I was waiting to see what Karlie was doing. I kind of wanted to spend it with her. It would be our first holiday together."
"Aww." Selena coos. "That's so cute."
"Shut up." Taylor laughs, blushing furiously.
"Well did you ask her about it?"
"No."
Selena sighs quietly. "And why not?"
"I don't know Sel. I guess I'm just worried."
"About what? That she'll say no?"
"No. It's not that. I guess... ugh." Taylor groans, rubbing her forehead in frustration. She takes a moment to compose herself. "Do you think it's too soon?" She whispers.
"Taylor." Selena sighs, sympathetic towards her friend's worries. "What do you think?" She asks quietly.
"I don't know. I mean, I want to. I just don't know if it's too soon for something like that, you know?"
"I get it babe. But I can't tell you what to do. You just have to do what feels right for you."
The line is silent for a moment, Taylor mulling over what her friend said. "Austin said the same thing."
"About damn time that boy wised up."
Taylor chuckles at the dig, knowing Selena and Austin have always bickered like siblings.
"Actually, I have some good news too."
"Yeah?" Taylor perks up, happy for the distraction.
"Yeah. I've been searching for apartments in New York, and I've got a few listings that look really good. I'm heading out there soon to look at them and see if I wanna put any offers in."
"Oh my gosh. That's amazing!"
"I was hoping you'd say that." Selena giggles. "I'm really excited."
"Me too. I really think you'll love it here Sel."
"I think I will too."
********************************************************************
After hanging up with her friend, the songwriter decided to tidy up her apartment. She set her phone up and synced it to her sound system; dancing and singing along to every song while she went. She was in the middle of jamming out to AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long when there's a series of knocks at her front door. She pauses her music before crossing the room to look through the peephole.
She quickly pulls the door open, revealing a very stressed and frazzled looking Karlie. Instead of her usual bright smile and warm eyes, her girlfriend looks exhausted and worn out, though she does instantly brighten at the sight of the songwriter.
Taylor doesn't hesitate to wrap her arms around her girlfriend, pulling her in for a clearly much needed hug as the model practically collapses into her. She's a little freaked out by the fact that she's never seen Karlie like this before. She leans back and gestures for the model to come in and quietly shuts the door behind her, turning around to find Karlie eyeing her worriedly.
"Hey." She says softly, closing the distance between them to place a soft kiss on her girlfriend's lips. "What's wrong?" She asks; her hands coming up to tenderly stroke the model's cheeks.
"Nothing." Karlie shakes her head, but it only fuels the songwriter's suspicions when the model won't meet her eyes.
"Karlie." She pleads. "Talk to me. What's going on?"
"It's really nothing. I'm just being stupid."
"Hey, don't say that. You're not stupid." Taylor says seriously, guiding Karlie's chin up until her girlfriend's eyes finally meet hers. "It's not nothing if it makes you this upset." She wraps her arms around her girlfriend's neck to keep her anchored there.
Karlie sighs, her shoulders sagging as if they were struggling under the weight of the world. "I just had a bad day. That's all." She shrugs nonchalantly.
"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Taylor offers. Karlie brings her eyes up to meet Taylor's and the songwriter can see the guilt swirling in her girlfriend's green eyes.
"Have you seen the magazine cover?" Karlie asks; her voice strained to barely above a whisper.
"I have." Taylor admits quietly. She locks her hands around Karlie's neck, silently assuring the model she wasn't going anywhere. She waits for Karlie to speak, hoping her girlfriend will open up.
"I got a call from my publicist about it when I was at the gym this morning. I had to leave my session early and cancel a few appointments. I've been at meetings all day dealing with it. I've had hundreds of phone calls and my team has been scrambling trying to stay on top of it."
Taylor continues to wait; she wants to give her girlfriend the time to get everything off her chest.
"I'm sorry about that by the way. I know they took the pictures and everything, but I really didn't think the magazines would pick it up, let alone they'd put it on the cover."
"It's okay." Taylor says quietly. "It's not your fault." She gently scratches her hands along her girlfriend's neck, before slowly working her way into her hair. She could feel the model's tension melting away at her touch.
"It is my fault though." Karlie sighs, her hands gently clasping the songwriter's wrists. "I dragged you into this."
"You didn't drag me into anything." Taylor insists. "This isn't your fault."
"How is it not my fault?" Karlie asks dejectedly, dropping her hands to her lap.
Taylor's heart breaks at Karlie's despondency. She pulls the model in for another hug, one hand holding the back of her girlfriend's head while the other is wrapped around trembling shoulders. She's fighting back tears because she hates seeing Karlie upset like this.
"I want you to listen to me." Taylor whispers, waiting for Karlie to nod in confirmation. When she does, the blonde continues. "It's not your fault the paparazzi were there. It's not your fault they took those pictures. It's not your fault some magazine picked them up and published them. None of this is your fault okay?"
The model nods against her, but Taylor isn't convinced the girl actually believes her. She pulls back, bringing her hands down hang loosely between them before linking them with Karlie's.
"I tell you what." She says quietly, taking Karlie's hand in hers and giving them a light squeeze as she takes in just how tired her girlfriend looks. "Why don't you go take a hot shower? I'll go grab you some comfy clothes to change into and then I'll make you something to eat and we'll just have a nice night in."
The songwriter can see the protest in her girlfriend's eyes so before she has the chance to refute her, the blonde kisses her; effectively silencing any objection the model may have had. When she pulls away, she notices Karlie's eyes are still shut. She smiles as she watches her girlfriend slowly blink several times before those green eyes are focusing back on her.
Karlie looks like she's about to refuse but seems to think better of it once Taylor challengingly arches an eyebrow at her. She smiles and places a quick kiss to her girlfriend's lips. "Thank you." Karlie says shyly. Taylor returns the smile, linking her hands with Karlie's to lead her to the bathroom.
Taylor gets her girlfriend some clothes and a few towels and sets them out on the bathroom counter. She shows the model where everything is and tells her to just yell if she needs anything. Karlie thanks her with another kiss before shutting the door as the blonde goes downstairs to make them some dinner.
Taylor ended up making a vegetarian stir fry, adding some spices and sauces to the mix. She isn't sure how hungry Karlie will be, but she knows she often forgets to eat when she's stressed, so she scoops a good amount onto their plates and brings them to the table in the living room, knowing her girlfriend needs to relax. She turns the TV on but keeps the volume low.
A few minutes later, the songwriter hears her girlfriend coming down the stairs. When she turns around, she's met with the lovely sight of her girlfriend's long tanned limbs making their way towards her. Those long lean legs are on full display in shorts that are even shorter on Karlie than they are on her. Her hair is down, the strands slowly dampening the collar of the loose fitting t-shirt with a worn out Notre Dame logo.
Karlie collapses onto the couch, feeling far more relaxed than she had all day. Taylor hands her a plate and Karlie smiles gratefully at her, digging in right away. They eat their meals quietly, watching bits of the show when they weren't busy stealing glances at each other. When they're finished, the blonde pushes their plates away from them on the coffee table and before she can even fully sit back down, Karlie is leaning in and kissing her.
"What was that for?" Taylor asks breathlessly after pulling away.
"For being amazing. For making me feel better. For making me dinner-"
"Okay, okay. I get it." Taylor chuckles; cutting off her girlfriend's unnecessary string of thanks. "You're welcome."
She sits back on the couch and pats her legs, gesturing for the model to lay her head there. Karlie lays down; her long legs extending all the way to the other end of the couch as her head rests in Taylor's lap, her body facing towards the TV. The songwriter brings her hand up and begins aimlessly stroking her girlfriend's long arms; slowly working her way up to gently scratch her neck before ending up threading through long blonde locks.
Karlie hums in contentment, feeling her body relaxing completely. She closes her eyes, reveling in the sensation of her girlfriend's gentle hands trailing along her skin.
Taylor thought Karlie had actually fallen asleep, so she was a little startled when the model suddenly turned in her lap and spoke. "You know you're my best friend, right?"
Taylor chuckles and leans down, kissing her girlfriend's forehead. "You're my best friend too." She responds with sincerity.
"Like, I would seriously do anything for you."
"I know you would." Taylor says quietly, a fond smile on her face as she continues running her fingers through her girlfriend's now mostly dry hair.
"I just..." Karlie sighs, shifting from her spot to sit up and face her girlfriend. "I feel like I can talk to you about anything. You just have this way of calming me down and I always feel so much better after talking to you or just spending time with you. You understand me in a way that I don't know if anyone ever has before."
Taylor has to resist the urge to look away from the intensity of her girlfriend's gaze. Those beautiful green eyes are showcasing so many things; admiration, sincerity, awe, and something that shined more intensely than the others; something that made her heart skip a beat.
"I honestly don't know what I would do without you." Karlie admits. "It's like I was just kind of going through life, but not really living it, you know? And I know I shouldn't complain. After all, I have a great job that I love, a family that loves and supports me, and good friends. But there was always something missing, and I didn't really realize that until I met you."
Taylor didn't have a response. What are you supposed to say when someone confesses something like that to you? So she did the only thing she could think of. She closes her eyes and leans in; eliminating the space between them.
Karlie kisses her back tenderly, her lips conveying everything she was feeling as they moved languidly against Taylor's. They kiss long and slow, not feeling the need to rush. The model's nose lightly brushed the songwriter's as they slowly part.
Taylor sighs, finally breaking the silence. "I know what you mean about just going through the motions."
Karlie's eyes slowly blink open. She feels a strong tug on her heart at the sadness in her girlfriend's eyes.
"A few years ago, I had a really big falling out with my best friend, and it left me in a really dark place for quite a while. I couldn't really open up to people anymore and I didn't want to. I just wanted to kind of float by; not really be seen or heard."
The model gently grabs the songwriter's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.
Taylor manages a small smile at the instant comfort she feels with her hand in Karlie's. "I was just really shy and closed off after that. But my ex somehow managed to break through those walls I had built up. She saw me when I truly thought I was invisible."
Karlie runs her thumb along the back of Taylor's hand, rubbing soothing circles against the soft skin.
"She was the first person I had really let in since, and she ended up breaking my heart. That's partly why I was so reluctant to start something with you. Not that you would ever do that, but I've just learned not to trust people."
Karlie nods her head in understanding, having had similar fears when she and Taylor first started dating. She wants to say something, but an apology doesn't seem right. So she decides to open up some more.
"I've only been in two relationships."
Taylor tries to hide her surprise, but she is genuinely shocked. She figured someone like Karlie, who could have literally anyone they wanted, would have had a more rich dating history. But she also isn't really that surprised; she knows Karlie isn't like that.
The model takes a deep breath before continuing. "My first relationship, I was young and naïve. I was a freshman in high school and I was new to modelling and new to travelling the world. I thought we were in love, but I guess I fell a lot harder than she did. We were together for a few months, but she never labelled what we were. I assumed since we had been together for so long, that we were exclusive. She unfortunately didn't feel the same. She said things were getting too serious and she couldn't handle it anymore. Turns out, she had been seeing other people behind my back the whole time."
"I'm sorry." Taylor says quietly; turning her hand and slipping her fingers into the spaces between the model's long slender fingers.
Karlie shrugs, having accepted that whole situation a while ago. "It was a long time ago. Anyway, my other ex and I grew up in the industry together."
Taylor momentary froze upon realizing Karlie's ex had been a model. Again, she shouldn't be surprised, given how insanely gorgeous her girlfriend is. It makes her wonder what Karlie sees in her. She quickly shakes herself out of it, focusing on the model's story.
"I started getting offers from big names, and she hadn't quite gotten there yet. I was becoming a household name and she saw how well I was doing and used it to her advantage. She used my name to get better campaigns and to make a name for herself. She wanted to really make it, which meant loads of travel and tough schedules, so we spent a lot of time apart. Things got pretty strained as both of our careers took off. We didn't get to see each other as much and we started talking less and less. For a while we really tried to make it work, planning dates and phone calls, but she seemed to always cancel the dates and one day she just stopped picking up the phone. I didn't want to hold her back from reaching her full potential."
Taylor could hear the sadness in her girlfriend's voice. She knows how selfless the girl is and she knows Karlie is always there for people when they need her. She can only imagine how much it hurt Karlie when things didn't work out.
Karlie bit her lip, trying to keep her tears at bay. Taylor gave their hands a gentle comforting squeeze. Karlie squeezed back and took a deep breath. "I was really happy for her; all her dreams were coming true. And I was proud of her for going after what she wanted. But it broke my heart to realize that I wasn't part of that dream anymore; that I wasn't what she wanted. The girl I loved and would've done anything for, she chose fame. She chose her career over us. "
Taylor's heart broke for her girlfriend; hearing that this amazing perfect person had gone through such heartache. She can't even imagine how Karlie could still be such a wonderful loving person after all that. Now all her talks with Lily made sense. Karlie had been through just as much heartbreak as she had, only she didn't let it destroy her.
Taylor throws her arms around the model, hugging her as close as she possibly could as Karlie returns the hug, wrapping her arms around her lower back. It was ironic that they were literally holding each other together after opening up about the things that had once broke them down. They both had been through so much, but without even realizing it, they were healing each other.
They were breaking down each other's walls, opening up about the things that haunted them. They didn't have to carry the burden of their pasts alone because they had someone who cared. They could share the pain with someone who understands what it's like because they've been hurt before too.
Eventually they begin to separate, both exchanging sheepish looks after having such an emotionally charged conversation.
"So what ever happened to her?" Taylor asks quietly.
"We're on ok terms now. We usually bump into each other during fashion week. She's doing well." Karlie says honestly. "But I'm doing better." She smirks, making Taylor burst out laughing, which of course made Karlie smile.
The songwriter buries her face into the model's shoulder laughing at her humble brag. "You're such a dork." She laughs, but leans into the model's side as Karlie wraps an arm around her.
They sit in silence for a little while. "I guess things worked out for the best." Karlie says suddenly. Taylor looks up at her questioningly.
The model's eyes sparkle as she looks down and meets her girlfriend's gaze. "She got everything she ever wanted. And now that I have you... I do too."
Taylor's smile starts off small, the corners of her lips slightly tugging upward before quickly becoming a full blown one that reaches her eyes. Her heart flutters in her chest at the adoration shining in those bright green eyes.
The songwriter reaches up, wrapping her hand around her girlfriend's neck to pull her closer until their lips meet. Karlie immediately responds, her hand coming up to gently cup Taylor's cheek. Karlie always holds her like she's something precious; always so careful and affectionate. She melts into the touch, feeling warmth spread throughout her body as her chest swells with overwhelming tenderness.
When they pull away, their foreheads instantly find each other; their breathing melting into the space around them. Everything feels familiar and safe and perfect. And when Karlie looks at her like that, those green eyes so soft and warm; like she's looking at something holy, Taylor finds it hard to remember why she was ok with being invisible for so long.