Secrets

Chapter Five

Taylor and her family were sitting at the big dining room table, enjoying their Sunday morning breakfast together. It was a rare occasion to have them all together like this. The night before had been the last show of the American leg of the Red tour. Taylor had chosen Nashville for it so her family could attend more easily and so she could spend some time at her parents' house afterwards to relax. She was also happy to see her cat Meredith again, the pet had stayed with her parents for the past weeks.

Her younger brother was currently trying to convince her to go outside later and enjoy the warm weather.

"Please? We can go explore the Mossy Ridge Trail! I haven't been in forever! I don't think we've ever been there together."

"Austin, I'd love to, but not today. I'm exhausted and I just want to relax. We can hang out in the backyard" Taylor reminded him and took a sip of her coffee.

"Ugh, gross, it's gone cold. Have we been sitting here that long?"

She got up from the table to go into the kitchen and get another cup of coffee.

"Anyone want anything?"

"No thanks, we're good" her father replied.

Just then, Taylor's phone rang from where it was lying on the living room couch.

"Your phone, Taylor!" Austin shouted when Taylor made no move to go and answer it.

"Nah, tour's over, I have today and next week off, they can just text me" she shouted back from the kitchen.

When she came back into the dining room with a cup of fresh coffee a minute later, her phone started ringing again.

Three pairs of eyes stared at her, the rest of her family annoyed from the sound of her standard ringtone. Even Meredith meowed in Taylor's direction from where she was sitting on the couch.

"I don't want to", Taylor reiterated.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief when the phone finally stopped ringing and kept eating their meals.

"See, couldn't have been that important."

That's when the house phone started ringing from where it was lying on the kitchen counter in the next room.

Taylor closed her eyes in annoyance and took a deep breath.

"What the ..."

Her father started towards the kitchen to pick up.

He came back, the phone outstretched in his hand towards his daughter.

"It's Tree."

***

Karlie rang the doorbell at her neighbor's apartment and heard footsteps approaching the door quickly soon after.

The door opened, and she was immediately wrapped into a hug by the girl.

"Karlie! It's so good to see you! Did you have a nice weekend? Come in, I have like twenty minutes until I have to leave for work."

They separated, and Karlie smiled.

"Thank you Jourdan. It's good to see you too. I'd love to hang out a little. How's the new job going?"

Karlie went inside and Jourdan closed the door behind her. They went into the small room and plopped down on the couch.

Karlie always felt weird coming here since the apartment looked exactly like hers, except that it was a mirror image. Jourdan's couch was on the left side of the room, her bed on the right, and the doors towards the small kitchen and bathroom on the left side as well. Karlie's was the other way round.