All I Need

Chapter Thirteen

Karlie's P.O.V

"It's Karlie. I need to see you." I can tell Lily is taken back.
"Okay, lunch later?" I nod.
"Sounds perfect I'll come to you." She confirms it as I walk back to the kitchen trying to help Taylor out. It doesn't work as she shoves me out of the kitchen under the pre-tense of getting ready to go. I honestly have no idea what to do but I hold her tight and kiss her before looking her dead in the eye. "I love you Taylor." She smiles and kisses me too.
"I love you too Karlie." With that I leave her and go and get ready wondering how long it will take for her to snap. The ride to the funeral home was uneventful due to Taylor checking on the kids through texting Ryan. I don't really know why she was texting him but she was and it was fine with me. Next thing I know we are arriving the funeral directors I am shocked that Taylor still hasn't broken down. It's like she is avoiding it, afraid of how we will see her if she does cry but it doesn't bother me, in all honesty it scares me that she is yet to mentally break down, her mother just died but I just try to breathe hoping that seeing Lily later will help me out. The time spent at the funeral directors was well spent as I helped Scott pick out a casket for Andrea while Taylor sat in the chair unmoving, I felt like slapping her senseless but I knew I couldn't due to her grieving but I did breathe a sigh of relief when dropping her back at the apartment complex. I have no idea why but it was just a huge weight off my shoulders. I watched her enter the complex, stopping once to look back at me. I must have seemed uninterested in her because I didn't even wave at her as I would have in the past.

The drive to Lily's house was uneventful as I knocked on the door and her husband Caleb let me in, hugging me close. "Karlie...I'm sorry. How is everyone?" He questioned as we walked towards the kitchen where Lily was making salad. "Not good." I state as he looks at Lily who nods and I notice that it's the same cue that Taylor and I used to have, a long time ago. "Karlie." Lily calls as I look up and manage to smile at her. "Hi Lily," she smiles at me sadly.
"Hi babe, hungry?" I shake my head and she sits next to me handing me a bottle of water and I nod as I take the cap off, noticing tissues nearby. "Where's Dixie?" Lily smiles at me happy to talk about her daughter. "Off looking at colleges this weekend. She turns eighteen in four months and then she's an adult. Can you believe it?" I shake my head, it's hard to believe.
"Wow, so grownup." She nods.
"Well Ryan must be getting older now." I nod and tell her that Ryan is now sixteen, Allie is fourteen and has a boyfriend, Calvin Harris's son Caleb, Flynn is nine and baby Becca is four. "You sound busy Karlie." She state sympathetically as I nod and sigh a little.
"You could say that, Andrea's death doesn't exactly help. I just don't know what to do. I know next to nothing about Taylor's childhood except that she was bullied and her mom became her best friend." I watch as Lily nods and begins to explain about how bad Taylor's childhood really was. "Well she was bullied heavily and Andrea was there in the background but she also let Taylor be bullied believing that it would build her character, but all it did was give her something to write about when she played her guitar." I look at her amazed.
"How do you know all of this? She's never said this." Lily smiles and explains that it was at the time when Taylor and her discussed children. "Not long before she met you." I'm taken back.
"Really. That was so long ago." Lily nods.
"It was, I've known her for a while. I'd imagine that half of Taylor's reasoning behind her being so reserved at the moment is that she doesn't want to rehash her childhood bullies. Her mom's memory will be wrapped up in those. I don't really know what to tell you Karlie." I sigh, I was hoping that the issues would have been semi resolved before the funeral but I can see that's not going to happen. I smile sadly at Lily as I realise that for now the secluded Taylor will be staying put and I can't do anything to change that. It's not until I'm leaving Lily's that I decide to call my parents and double check that they are flying out for the funeral, they confirm they are landing in the morning at 9.15am and will be to the house by 10.00am at the latest. We say goodbye as I walk into the apartment complex and go up to our floor. I will be glad to go back to L.A soon.