More than Friends

Twelve

Taylor's POV

A new day. A fresh start. A chance to forget everything that's happened.

I'm awake before Karlie, frantically checking my emails and replying to them with an almost rude haste so she doesn't catch me. It's not that I'm trying to purposely over stress myself, I just want life to be back to normal and by doing 'work', that is helping. But I know Karlie would get annoyed so I'm doing it alone. I've laid breakfast so we can both eat together, like we used to before all this, opposite each other, hating on the media whilst she ate some Vegan concoction and I ate whatever I felt like that particular morning then going onto what we were going to do that day and when we could next see each other again. I miss all that already. Karlie is acting weird, tightly strung and sad, not even bothering to tell me why.

Can't she tell it upsets me?

Half an hour later, I hear gentle footsteps along the hall which means Karlie is awake, or I have another stalker in my house, and coming to find me. I shove the laptop into the nearby cupboard where I found it, flicking the volume on the TV up and sinking back into the plush couch I'm spread across. My glasses are perched on my nose because I haven't been bothered to put my contact lenses in and I muss my hair up a bit so it doesn't look like things have been getting business like. "Taylor," Karlie calls, her voice still laced with sleep.

"I'm in here," I shout back, putting a tired stretch in my voice. My gangly friend, who looks even more gangly in her sleep shirt, long legs striding easily, appears in the room.

"Hey you," she smiles. She's probably still half asleep, flopping onto the sofa next to me loosely before curling into me. "What're you doing awake?"

"I couldn't sleep," I say sheepishly. That elicits a giggle from her and I smile. Her laugh is like sunshine. It lights up the whole world and its all I need to make me happy.

"You never sleep." A huge yawn slips from her mouth and she closes her pretty eyes. She looks so peaceful, especially compared to last night so I gently place my hand on her arm, letting her sleep on me.

The rest of the mornings in the week after my release pass like that. Karlie had somehow managed to free her schedule so that she could watch me but she had to go to work eventually. So that's what happened.

"I have a shoot today Tay-bear," Karlie says, walking into the kitchen where I'm making breakfast. "I should be back by five."

"Have fun." I hand her the special breakfast I prepared, vegan and no bloating, specially for today. It's going to be weird not having her constant presence lurking around me but also somewhat freeing.

Karlie is putting her jacket on and standing by the door, a small handbag on her arm and hair done in a loose bun that showed off those razor sharp cheekbones. I'm watching, not having anything better to do until she's gone. Then she's ready to go, letting me hug her, hugging me back tightly before telling me to be good by myself. I kiss her cheek, like I always do, and a spark ignites in those dark green eyes, a barely concealable smile on her face. "Bye Tay. Love you." Then her gangly presence is gone, leaving me feeling odd, even if I can't place a finger on why I feel odd.

I've spent all day on my laptop, skimming emails and replying so I can keep up. No one at work knows I'm not supposed to be working, they just think I'm 'taking it easy'. I forgot lunch and I'm feeling drowsy, sleep threatening to drag my eyelids down so I can relax. 'I'll just reply to this email,' I think, starting to type. I've noticed my spelling getting progressively worse as I've replied, so much so that instead of writing 'yours sincerely,' I wrote, 'urs sincerlly.' A quick nap won't hurt though.

Karlie's POV.

I let myself into Taylor's apartment, using the key she gave me when she first moved to New York, hanging my jacket with all the others in a cupboard and not making much noise. The shoot was good. It was for Kate Spade and luckily the whether in the middle of Central Park was lovely for this time of year. It's at times like this that I realise how much I love my job.

Taylor doesn't seem to be around the kitchen so I make us both a hot drink, carrying them both in cupped hands into the living room. I've made Taylor her favourite Caramel latte, planning on sitting and complaining about life with her and probably watching CSI shows on her TV.

The front room is a mess: Papers litter the floor around the coffee table; a few glasses of water stand on the table; her laptop is open in the middle of the chaos. "Wake up Taylor. You have some explaining to do," I announce, shaking her briefly before starting to stack some papers.

"Karlie?" Taylor has a broad look of confusion on her face, turning to shock as she sees me with the sheets in my arms. "What? Why're you here?" Her confusion could've been funny if I wasn't so angry.

"The shoot finished darling. It's ten past five already." Her eyes widen as I explain, swivelling to find the nearest clock.

"Damn it," she groans.

"Explain." I plonk the paper on the table and then sit, cross legged, on the floor.

"I was just catching up on some work," she says.

"You weren't supposed to," I point out bluntly.

"I know." At least she has the decency to look guilty, not meeting my hard eyes as I look at her.

"Seriously Tay. I don't want to have to baby sit you but if you're going to do this every time I'm not around, I'll make sure you have someone to watch you constantly. We're doing this to help you."

"Please don't," she begs. Taylor likes to be able to do what she wants, when she wants so making someone watch her 24/7 would be hell to her. "I'm sorry Karlie. It just sucks that I can't deal with stuff that affects me just because of this episode. I'm fine now." Her eyes are big, huge blue swirls and I find myself melting. No wonder I fell for her, still down on the ground from falling and sinking deeper every second. Why can't she just remember?

"One more chance," I say, snapping out of it but not quite getting rid of the look in my eyes from the way Taylor is looking at me.

"Karlie?" She pauses before starting again, "are you okay?"

"Yes." I say. But inside I'm not. Inside all I want is love from a certain blond that will never remember the way we cuddled and kissed passionately, making so much noise but not caring that anyone could her. That's what would make me okay.

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Authors note.
An update. Sorry it took so long, I've had a busy week with one thing and another but if I can get this chapter to have ten or more comments, I'll write a quicker update. Please load check out my other Kaylor fanfic!