Who am I to You? (Kaylor/Torlie AU)

16

"Don't do that, that's not fair!" Taylor breathes. Her piercing glare is every bit directed at Karlie, for her to break. But Karlie doesn't break contact with Taylor and neither does the other girl move away from her touch.

Karlie finally pulls her hand away to straighten herself out. She leans back in her seat and says in as calm of a voice, "It might not be fair, but it's the truth, Tay. And it hurts."

"So you're prepared to hurt a lot of people by doing this?" Taylor challenges.

"I'm...tired of hurting myself, i think I've had enough of that. I think I deserve to let myself choose to be happy and I'm ready to take care of me instead of everyone else this time," Karlie answers in an even tone.

"I've been trying to love Toni and treat her like she deserves, like the old Karlie would've. But I don't know— it feels like she only loves the idea of me, this mental picture of Karlie she has and not the real me, who I am right now."

She stops to take a breath and to try gauging Taylor's reaction. But the blonde's expression remained unreadable, her thoughts kept at bay.

"But with you? I don't even need to try. Even just thinking about you already sends chills down my spine and makes the beating of my heart erratic. When I think back to the day we met, I remember how confident you were in your words. How fearless you seemed and how bold you could be, all while being witty and charming which definitely knocked me off my feet. And I'm trying to do the same."

Taylor opens her mouth to speak but holds back when Karlie's phone vibrates against the table top.

Karlie checks to see a new message alert from Toni onscreen.

Toni: babe, where are you?

Karlie: in a meeting, will be home soon. why?

Toni: need to talk to you in person, ASAP.

Karlie: ok, sit tight for a bit. see you in a while!

Toni: okay, babe. i love you!

Taylor shifts her gaze between Karlie and the girl's phone. Hurriedly rising from her chair to leave she says, "I think I'm gonna go ahead. Thanks for your time today, Kar."

"Taylor, wait" Karlie reaches for her hand and stands up too, "Hear me out on this. I want to see you again, I want to keep seeing you."

"And then what? You ditch Toni and I ditch Di, just like that?"

"And then, when whatever I'm feeling becomes too undeniably true and heavy to bear, if it gets to that point, then I'm going to break things off with Toni and tell her the truth— about everything."

"What if I don't break up with Dianna?"

"Then I'll wait and live with the choice I've made: living in the present," Karlie says with a finality in her voice. She gives Taylor's hand a soft squeeze before letting go, as if to assure her even further how sure she was of this decision.

While Taylor merely nods and replies, "I'll see you around, Karlie."

/

The sound of Joe's barking alerts Karlie of the presence of visitors on the home right from her doorway. Her dog wasn't usually this loud or lively, at least not in front of her at the moment.

She lingered at the front door for longer than usual, replaying her and Taylor's conversation in her head. Karlie stood looking pale until her sisters came running up, leaving her completely surprised.

"Karlieeee! Did you miss us?"

The twins crash into her with a tight hug. Letting go as quickly as they clung on to pick up Joe Joe and cuddle him instead.

"It's great to see you, two! But what are you doing here, don't you have school?" Karlie asks, eyeing the two on the couch suspiciously.

Toni enters the room and answers the question for the twins. "I told them to keep you company. I'm leaving for Paris."

"What?! Now?? Do you really need to go?" the green-eyed girl asks, suddenly alarmed. Toni wheels in a set of luggage with one hand, while the other holds a thin brown envelope.

After handing off the envelope to Kariann, she says something to the twins that Karlie can't quite make out. She gives each of them a tight embrace before walking towards Karlie.

When they're face-to-face, Karlie notices how exhausted Toni looks. Yet she was still trying to keep a smile on her face, albeit a sad one.

"Management just called. It was a last-minute reschedule for a couple of shoots." Her voice is soft, and almost hoarse. You could hear the aftereffects of that night at the restaurant, and just how tired it made her. "Don't worry, I'll be home soon. In the meantime, Kariann's in charge."

They look towards the teenagers on the couch with a knowing smile. Kimby folds her arms across her chest and rolls her eyes at Kariann who mimics her actions while wearing a smug look on her face. "Try not to burn the house down and don't let your sister out of your sight, okay?" Toni jerks her thumb in Karlie's direction and the twins stifle their laughs.

"Don't go, please...I, uh, I wanted to talk to you about last night," Karlie says in all seriousness. Even holding on to Toni's free hand as she waits for the girl's response.

Toni interlaces her fingers with Karlie's and steps closer to her before answering. "When I get back, babe. I promise we'll talk— no holds barred. But for now, I have a plane to catch and you just be good and stay safe with your sisters."

She takes another step closer, enough for them to feel each others' hot breaths against their cheeks. And she places a gentle kiss on Karlie's lips, then leaving another quick one on her cheek.

Goodbyes are exchanged up until Toni gets into the taxi and the three girls are left standing at the curb. However, it isn't long before Kimby rounds on Karlie looking unamused.

"Something's up and you better spill it, Sis."

"I don't know what you're talking ab—"

"We know Taylor's back, Karlie. So you can start with that," Kimby counters before Karlie can get another word out of her denial.

Kariann nods in agreement, "Toni's told us what's happened. But what's really going on?"

Karlie turns her back and starts toward the house. She can't seem to look either sister in the eye when she responds with, "Nothing! We're just getting into this business deal. She and her girlfriend asked me to shoot a campaign for the girlfriend's clothing line."

"Why the fuck are you lying?" Kimby questions, looking accusatory. "I can literally feel the air tense up when you talk about her and the blush on your cheeks is a dead giveaway."

"Watch it, Kimby," Karlie stiffens and shoots a glare in her sister's direction.

She feels the two sets of eyes on her the entire time spent setting up the pizza in the kitchen. A tense silence blankets over them only broken by the sounds of Joe's barking and the occasional beeps from their phones.

Way to go, Karlie. Great idea to piss off the two people you'll be with for the entire week, she sighs.

//

a/n: hit me up in the comments, yo! 😉