Kaylor AU : How It All Started.

Chapter 24: A Whiskey Bottle.

Meredith and Olivia were laying on their sides on the carpet in the living room till a loud slam on the front door caused them to jump in terror and in the midst, lose some of their furs also. When they saw who it was, they calmed down quickly and went back to their previous position, almost entirely ignoring Taylor. The feeling was mutual. Taylor didn't even notice them as she walked through the door with fury in her eyes along with some tears that have now traveled down the pathway to her cheeks. Though, she quickly wiped it off with the back of her hand, didn't want to show or feel her weakness. She threw her purse and coat onto the couch and headed straight for her liquor cabinet.

Now, even though Taylor isn't one for hard liquor, she keeps it around, for her guests, in hopes that it would come in handy one day or during times like these. She looked through the cabinet but wasted no time to decide which type to consume. She grabbed an empty glass and threw in a few ice cubes before drenching it with some top shelf whiskey. After gulping down the first round, she grabbed the bottle and looked at it for a moment. Taylor thought to herself, "What's with the formality?"

Without any hesitation, she placed the bottle to her lips and guzzled it down, the liquid slowly burning her cheeks and throat like fire as it moved lower. Taylor almost choked and when she finally did, she stopped for a second to breathe, placing the bottle down on the counter top again. She pound on the whiskey bottle again but not for long this time. A knock on the door stopped her actions. She was sure who it was on the other side of the door. And the voice that came after the knock confirmed it.

"Taylor, it's me. Open up." The familiar voice said.

It was Karlie.

Taylor froze for a second.

"Damn it. I should have told them not to let anyone disturb me. Not even Karlie." That sentence raced across her mind. Her grip tightened on the bottle. So many things were rushing through her head, unsure what her next move should be. Should she just ignore Karlie for now and continue her drinking or answer the door and talk to Karlie like an adult? Well, she did both. Sort of. First, she continued burning her lips. Then when she couldn't take it anymore, she stopped and as Karlie's calls were getting louder and more persistent, she inched closer towards the door.

When she saw shadows moving closer underneath the door, she knew Taylor was in there listening.

"Taylor, come on. I know I should have told you about Toni's thing. I'm sorry but just hear me out, please," Karlie said as she kept gently banging on the door.

Taylor was at the door now, hand almost reaching for the knob. But suddenly a feeling told her not to open it, instantly pulling her hand away. Slowly she turned, her back facing the door, leaning on it and sliding down as if her legs won't allow her to stand anymore. She didn't intend on letting Karlie know that she was there, by the door, listening.

By then, Karlie noticed Taylor was indeed listening, by the sound of a thud at the door. But still no answer from the older girl.

Karlie spoke up and started to explain.

"The guy on the phone, his name is Derek. He's a close friend of mine and Toni's back in St. Louis. And when Toni finally came into contact with her parents and Derek, she wouldn't tell them her whereabouts but said that she's fine. She just wanted to disappear for a bit. Three days later, after countless persuasions, she finally told Derek where she is. And made him promise to not tell anyone. He's planning on flying out to see her soon and that's why he invited me to come along."

"If it was that simple, why didn't you tell me in the first place?" Taylor finally voiced out, sobbing lightly on the other side, making Karlie lift her head up in surprise.

"I'm an idiot because I didn't know how to tell you. You seemed so.... happy the past few days. And I was worried you'd be upset with all this Toni business again."

"So were you ever gonna tell me about your trip? Or am I just gonna receive a note one day?" Taylor replied brutally.

"I don't even know if I'm going yet and if I do, of course I'd tell you. You'd be the first to know."

"So if you were to go on this trip, what does that mean for us?" Taylor continued.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Karlie was puzzled for a second, unsure of the question.

"Nothing is going to happen to us. I'm just going as a friend, Tay."

"Are you sure? Because if you were just friends, you didn't have to hide this from me, even if it might upset me." 

"Of course I am. I love you, Taylor," Karlie pleaded.

Taylor ignored Karlie's words and proceeded to ask her another question.

 "Is there anything else you're not telling me then?"   

"No, I swear."

There was a short pause, neither girls said anything, each waiting for the other to speak.

"Taylor, please.... just open the door and let me in." Karlie broke the silence and pleaded once more.

After another short pause, a word came out of Taylor's mouth.

"No," Taylor said softly, unsure if it was the right answer to give. 

"Taylor?" Karlie pressed her ear against the door this time, to make sure she heard correctly.

"I said no!" Her past memories came back to her in a flash and this time, she was sure it was the right reply. She didn't want to repeat her mistakes and just let Karlie in so quickly like how she did with the others in the past.

Karlie's face and heart dropped immediately.

"You know how I feel about lying. I just can't see you right now," Taylor said as she took another gulp from the liquor bottle.

"But Tay..." Tears started to form around her eyes.

Even before she could finish her sentence, Taylor interrupted.

"Go home, Karlie."

A/N: Hey everyone, just wanted to let you all know that I injured myself last Saturday and sprained my ankle from penny boarding. Hence, this update came later than expected because I was in so much pain from a swollen ankle and in no mood for anything. Also, hell week in uni is about to start soon. So I will still update but just slightly later than usual. Just thought you should know. Thanks for reading. Make sure to comment and vote. It means a lot.  :)