Avalanche [Kaylor]

5.

Sorry this hasn't had time to be edited too much! More coming quite soon xx

Taylor watched the angular lights of the runway rush into sudden focus as her plane landed with a shuddering jolt. It had barely been an hour since she had let the windswept beaches of Rhode Island fade away beneath the clouds. Choosing against a 4-hour drive back into Manhattan, she had requested a discreet journey in her private jet to reach her destination promptly. Contrary to the view of many opinionated internet users, Taylor was not frivolous beyond necessity – the plane, while obviously extravagant, was only used in times of true urgency. And her girlfriend crumbling apart under the strain of depraved, powerful people was not something that could wait.

The ocean bound storm seemed to have followed her – when she exited onto the runway a flurry of chill wind hit her with force. It was very early morning, and the sun was still yet to push through the dark blanket of winter sky, leaving New York's electricity-speckled skyline and the moon as her only light sources.

Turning her phone off airplane mode, her fingers rippled across the screen as she wrote her message. 

Hang in there angel! Just landed, will be with you in 45 mins max. I've booked a suite at the Greenwich Hotel for us and my best driver to collect you – will make sure absolutely no one will bother us there' 

Taylor pressed send, hoping Karlie was not in as terrible of a headspace as last night. She recognised the terror in her voice on the phone last night, and it scared her - she knew she couldn't be left to herself any longer without her mental health deteriorating.

Gliding through the private check out desk in a daze, her thoughts flew back to one of their earliest dinner dates at a small vegetarian Brooklyn restaurant...

-----

3 years ago

'So when do you think you knew...?' Taylor stumbled at the words slightly as their empty plates were cleared. She was keen to hear Karlie's experience with her sexuality, but didn't want to pressure her into any uncomfortable memories.

Karlie sipped her drink and tilted her head slightly in thought.

'I mean, I remember having crushes on girls in high school, actually even middle school, and just thinking everyone felt that way about their close girlfriends. I mean, that and I'm pretty sure I was in love with Ariel from the Little Mermaid before as a little kid'

Taylor laughed quietly. 'I totally remember that feeling too – when I was 7 I apparently asked my mom if I could marry my best friend so we could live in a Rapunzel tower together'

Karlie giggled at the endearing image. 'What did she say?'

'She just shrugged and said yes, but I'm gonna have to grow my hair really long so my friend can climb up to see me' Taylor smiled at the memory. 'My mom was always really sweet about it, I was very lucky considering the quite conservative people I grew up around'

Karlie smiled, before her eyes glazed over to a slightly troubled expression. 'To be honest, the modelling industry made me realise most how much I was not attracted to men'

'Because the girls were all so gorgeous? I thought I was gonna pass out at the Victoria's Secret show!' Taylor admitted, blushing lightly at the thought of Karlie's swan-like elegance walking down the runway.

'No – I mean, well, yeah...' Karlie laughed 'But I mean because I realised how men really see us. I experienced so much...shit from them when I was young.'

'Oh...' Taylor could see a new, deep sadness in her date's eyes.

'When you're a model you get seen as a thing more than a person a lot of the time – just like how you're meant to just be a hanger for the clothes on the runway, that kind of feeds into how people treat you off the runway. A lot of men...a lot of men said things about me and my body that just made me feel so gross. Most girls got through it with a lot of hard drugs, and I never wanted to do any of that stuff, so I just put up with it and cried after a lot of the shows.'