Life Makes Love Look Hard (Kaylor)

Chapter 5 (No proof, not much, but you felt enough)

They walked back to their hotel that night, with Taylor complaining about how she didn’t want the night to end, and thinking about how she didn’t want to leave the warmth of Karlie’s arms on top of the Eiffel tower, staring over the city of love.

But Karlie’s arm was draped around her waist for the entire stroll. Their sides were in constant contact, and once when Taylor shivered Karlie pressed a kiss to her cheek.

She went to sleep before Karlie did, a common event when they were together. That meant she usually woke first, today, it seems, that’s not the case.

Because she hears the most awful noise coming from the bathroom they share. She wipes her eyes. The tip of the sun has only just started to paint the sky beautiful shades of pink and orange.

It sounds like she’s throwing up in there.

“Karlie?” she calls without answer. Now she gets up. She’s starting to worry. She walks to the door, pressing her ear against the white wood.

“Karlie, are you okay in there?”

“No,” comes the cracked voice from behind the barrier. She wants to open the door, but what if Karlie wants her privacy? What if this is something she shouldn’t see?

She decides being a good friend comes before privacy.

So she opens the door, but her hand hesitates on the handle for a moment. When she does finally open it she sees Karlie huddled on the floor in front of the toilet, her hair disheveled, her grip so tight on the edges of white porcelain and her breathing is shallow and quick.

She doesn’t have much time to think, because a coughing fit from Karlie has the model’s head quickly turning towards the bowl.

Taylor rushes to her side, taking the model’s hair in her fingers and holding it back with one hand while she moves her hand gently over Karlie’s back.

“It’s okay,” she tries to calm Karlie down, and she can see the angel’s bloodshot eyes. How long has she been awake?

Karlie shakes her head in response once she’s finished, lifting her head only to close her eyes and press her fingers to her temples.

“Try not to move too much,” Taylor whispers as she takes a nearby washcloth to carefully wipe Karlie’s mouth.

“God, I’m so stupid,” she barely hears the mumble that comes from Karlie’s mouth, but she does see the tears on her cheeks.

“You barely had any champagne last night at dinner,” Taylor smiles, “and you tell me I’m the lightweight.”

Karlie doesn’t laugh. Something must be wrong. Her awful jokes always make Karlie laugh.

“Here, let me get you some water, okay?”

She leaves the bathroom, but her head is so full of questions. Why is Karlie throwing up? Is something wrong? Should she be taken to the hospital? Did she have food poisoning? Oh God what if dinner last night gave her food poisoning?

It couldn’t have been the champagne, could it? Karlie’s never been the lightweight between the two of them. If anything the model is always the one to take her to bed when she’s had too much to drink, but neither of them have thrown up before. They only had one glass of champagne each. Nothing could come from that, right?

If she hadn’t been so occupied by her own thoughts, she would’ve noticed something strange in the trash can.

She fills a cup with water, tapping her fingers against the glass as she walks back to the bathroom where Karlie is still crouched.

“Here,” she leans down, putting the glass in Karlie’s waiting hand. She watches as Karlie brings it to her lips, but she puts her hand on the model’s shoulder shortly after.

“Not too much, okay? I read somewhere that too much water after throwing up could upset the stomach or something.”

Karlie gives her a small nod, taking one more sip before moving the glass away from her lips.

More tears fall down Karlie’s cheeks, so Taylor moves to be sitting beside her.

What she doesn’t expect is the sob that shatters her heart, and the body that collapses against her chest in horrible cries. Her arms immediately themselves around Karlie. Fingers grip into her shirt so tightly she can feel fingernails against her chest.

“I’m such an idiot!”

“Shh,” Taylor rests her cheek on top of Karlie’s head. “You’re not an idiot.”

But the cries don’t quiet, and the shaking of Karlie’s chest only gets worse.

“Yes, I am! Taylor I’m such an idiot and I made a stupid mistake because I thought he was changing and… I don’t know what I’m gonna do!”

The model pulls away, digging her fingernails into her scalp, but Taylor takes those same hands and holds them so gently in her own.

“I don’t understand.”

She watches as Karlie laughs, but it’s not the bright, joyful laugh she’s used to hearing. This one is sad and cynical. It’s angry.

Green eyes meet hers, the color stands out due to the tears bubbling and falling down beautiful cheeks.

“I’m pregnant.”