D Y I N G | Taylor Swift • Kaylor

Chapter seven

'Hi, you've reached the voicemail of Tree Paine. I'm not available at the moment. Leave your name and number after the beep, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.'

'Hey, Treeby, um... I just wanted to update you, you know, since you said you need to know if something happens, so yeah, something happened, or, like, is about to happen. I don't know, and it's complicated but also not really, and-' Taylor nervously threads her fingers through her hair. '-and, ugh, forget it. I can't explain this over voicemail. Just call me when you're free. Love you. Bye.'

She flings her phone onto the bed, not bothering to check where it lands, knowing full well she'll probably be tearing through the sheets later, trying to find it.

Or maybe not.

Almost immediately, a muffled ringing seeps out from the farthest corner. Taylor leans over to grab it, accidentally nudging a half-asleep Olivia. 'Sorry, baby,' she mumbles, but the cat is already darting for the door.

It's Tree. Of course, it is.

'Hel-'

'What is it?' Tree cuts her off. 'It's Karlie, isn't it? Were you two seen? Do we need to issue an NDA? Arrange a settlement?'

Taylor almost laughs. Her exhale surely sounds like it. Perhaps it's the absurdity of it all.

It's the way Tree - usual clear-headed, collected, calm Tree - seems to be on edge. It's how the connection is instant: her current chaos liked to Karlie, as if nothing has really changed. Everything has always been, always is, and always will be about Karlie. She is everywhere, like a shadow that follows her in golden sunlight.

Taylor hates it.

'No,' she says quickly. 'I mean, yes, it's about Karlie. But no, we weren't seen.' Yet.

Tree audibly relaxes. 'Christ, Taylor. Okay. What do I need to know? Spare the details.'

'Oh my god, it's not like that.' She bites her lip. 'I'm just kind of meeting her today.'

'So, it is like that. And what exactly is your definition of 'kind of'?'

Taylor swallows the implication.

'Completely. Like, meeting-the-kids kind of completely.'

It sounds surreal. Taylor knows it.

'Alright, I'll handle it. We can't afford any public exposure regarding this meeting. They don't have enough trust in your relationship with Travis yet.'

Now, she truly laughs, though it's humorless and bitter, because she remembers this conversation. They've had it countless times before - the same debate, the same frustrations, yet never any resolutions. Different names, different beards, but still somehow exactly the same. Always hiding, always in secret.

And then, she laughs again. It starts how it ended.

'Taylor? Are you listening?'

'Yeah, no, sorry, what?'

'Did you tell Karlie about Travis? Does she know about the situation?'

Taylor clenches her jaw. 'Not exactly. But I think she may have figured out the rest.'

'So, an NDA then.'

It starts how it ended.

'We don't need one. Not for Karlie. She won't say anything. Ever.'

'Taylor-'

'No, Tree! Not this time. I know what you think, and yes, she's hurt me before, but it wasn't out of malice. She's pragmatic, not cruel. She would never.'