"END GAME" - ᴍᴀʜᴏᴍᴇs.

053. something stupid.

A week later, Kylie sat across from Taylor in Electric Lady Studios, the soundproof walls muffling the rest of New York City. Their usual chatter and laughter felt strangely muted, replaced by an uneasy tension that hung heavy in the air.

"Tay... I did something really stupid," Kylie blurted out, her hands twisting nervously in her lap as taylor flipped through her notebook. "I slept with Joe."
Taylor's eyebrows shot up, her surprise evident. "Oh my god, Kylie!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing around the studio as she slammed the book shut in her lap. "Joe? Like Joe Burrow? That Joe?"
"Yes, that Joe," Kylie confirmed, looking anywhere but into Taylor's wide-eyed gaze. Her heart pounded against her ribcage, each beat a painful reminder of the reckless decision she'd made.
"How did that happen? When did that happen?" Taylor questioned incredulously. "You said you were in Philly, not Cincinnati."
Kylie sighed heavily, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
"He was visiting Willa," she explained quietly. "I was sat there and he just appeared behind me."
Taylor stared at Kylie, her expression a mix of shock, disbelief, and a hint of accusation.
"Kylie, how do you go from bumping into someone at a cemetery to fucking him?" she asked bluntly, her tone devoid of the usual warmth and understanding.
Kylie flinched at the harshness of Taylor's words, but she met her friend's gaze steadily.
"It wasn't like that," she insisted, her voice trembling slightly. "We talked for hours, about the old times... about Willa. And then he ended up at my place, and... well, it just happened."
Taylor raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Just happened? Kylie, come on. You two have a history, a complicated one at that. How did you let yourself do that again?"
"I don't even know how it happened," Kylie confessed, wringing her hands together. "One minute, I'm sitting there, practically crying to him about patrick, and the next, I'm letting him kiss me and telling him not to stop."
Her cheeks flushed crimson as she admitted, "The worst part is... I kept thinking about Pat the whole time. Even when Joe was touching me, all i could think about was patrick."
A tear trickled down Kylie's cheek, and she quickly brushed it away, cursing her overly emotional state. "This is so fucked up, Tay," she muttered, burying her face in her hands.Taylor rushed over to envelop Kylie in a warm hug, holding her close as sobs shook her slender frame.
"Shh, it's okay," Taylor soothed, stroking Kylie's hair. "You're allowed to feel messed up right now. Youre going through a lot."
Kylie clung to her friend, drawing strength from Taylor's steady presence. When she finally pulled back, her eyes were red-rimmed but clear with determination.
"I still love Patrick with my whole fucking heart," she confessed, her voice cracking. "But he reminded me so much of Brock, I cant- I.dont know, tay."
She took a shaky breath, trying to calm the storm within. "I'm torn apart, Part of me wants to run back to him, to try and give him another chance, But another part knows that would be a mistake."
Taylor gazed deep into Kylie's soulful eyes with an unspoken plea.
"Please, Ky, don't go back to Patrick if he's even remotely similar to Brock," she implored, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can't watch you go through that hellish cycle again. Not after everything you've been through, and not when you deserve so much better."
"Thank you, Tay," Kylie said softly, reaching out to squeeze her friend's hand. "I appreciate your concern more than you know. And believe me, there won't be any going back unless he proves to me beyond doubt that he's nothing like brock. For now, I'm just gonna distract myself with... something, i dont know." With a deep breath, Kylie straightened up, her resolve hardening. "Speaking of which, we should probably get back to work," she suggested, gesturing towards the mixing board. "I have an album to record."
Taylor nodded, a small smile playing on her lips as she watched Kylie regain her composure.
"Right, focus on music," she agreed, releasing her grip on her friend's hand. "That's always been your best therapy."

taylor and kylie stayed in the studio for hours, recording rough drafts and demos of about twenty songs that kylie had written, and by the end of the day they were both exhausted.
taylor had a tour rehearsal the next day, so kylie decided to spend one more night in new york before heading back to kansas city until she decided what to do with herself.

She hummed gently to herself as she stepped out of the elevator, as she approached her apartment door, however, her pace slowed significantly upon noticing an unexpected scene unfolding before her.
There, standing in front of her door, was Patrick engaged in conversation with an elderly woman who kylie recognised as her neighbour. Kylie's stomach twisted into knots as she watched him, trying to gauge his demeanor and expression.
Patrick's head turned towards the sound of the elevator doors opening, his eyes locking onto Kylie's. For a fleeting moment, she swore she saw a flicker of guilt or unease cross his features before he quickly masked it with a small, charming smile. The elderly woman bid him farewell and disappeared down the hallway, leaving Patrick and Kylie alone.
"...hey,"

a/n
I have no idea where this is going.
also, should the baby be a boy or a girl