Forbidden

Part Six

 "Sometimes we need to know what love feels like when its wrong before we can truly appreciate it, when its right."

 "Karlie!" 

 There was a shriek of laughter from the young girl's mouth as she leapt into the arms of her best friend.The blonde tightly wrapped her long arms around the super model's neck, burring her head in the crook of her neck also. 

 The laughing spilled from Karlie's lips were unstoppable as Taylor whispered obnoxiously complained about how long it hand been since she'd seen the other girl, topping it off with "never leave me again." 

 The duo stayed wrapped in the the hug before pulling away to see one another, Taylor's laugh just then breaking from the seems. "Seriously. I haven't seen you since the fourth, what's up with that?" The country star asked. 

 Karlie's voice was soft spoken as usual as she tried to explain, "I don't know, Josh wanted it to be just the two of us and I hadn't had any alone time with him so.." She shrugged with a smile.

 "So in other words, you got laid instead of coming to see me?"

Karlie blushed, "Did not! We didn't even.." A pink bottom lip protruded from it's original place, pulling her best pout.

 "You know I'm kidding." Taylor smiled innocently before kissing the girl's cheek. Strike three. 

  Both girls stood int he New York apartment of Karlie, eyeing one another. The subtle comments, the quick, kisses, and anything else to fall under the category of 'Oh were just friends'. 

 To Taylor the little hints were innocent in a way that she wasn't guilty over giving. To Karlie it was close to question her, wondering if the unspoken attraction between the two needed to be brought up but now wasn't the time. There was never a right time except the day back in the brutal storm in Karlie's car. The time was right then but there was no chance of going back, not now. What shouldn't wouldn't give to go back was small. 

 "So uh.." Taylor broke the silence, "How are you and Josh?"

 "We're good..the usual." 

The usual: Barely ever have time too see each other and it bothers neither of them because there is no real connection between the two.

 Taylor nodded, her wavy blonde hair bouncing against her shoulders as she did. She considered the supermodel's boyfriend a friend at the most but didn't see them lasting long or growing into anything else. The guilt in feeling that way came from the fact that she herself had never been an a serious relationship but the feelings she had when she was with something was feeling inseparable. Karlie had told her once before that she could go days without seeing him and never once think about him. 

 "Well how have you been?" Karlie broken another silence before settling over to the couch not far from where they stood. Taylor followed along, running a hand through her hair, "Good, really good. There hasn't been much to do so I've just been hanging around the apartment." She rambled on.  

  For a long while the girls talked about whatever their conversation led them to. Both girls eventually ended up facing each other with their long legs side by side. Karlie on one end of the couch and Taylor on the other, laying comfortably. The conversation had dwelled down to Karlie's relationship with Josh, Karlie in silence as she thought of what to say next.

 "I mean.." Karlie looked down at her hands, twisting the ring on her finger around, irritating the skin beneath it and turning the flesh a pink color. Josh was a hard topic when it came down to their spark as some might call it. "I do love him, and I want him in my life just as much as I want you or you know..my family but that's just it. He's my best friend, he's just that. I kiss him because I'm suppose to, we sleep together occasionally because it feels like it's an obligation and he meets with my parents because he's known them for so long it's like going to see his family. My parents think he's the one because he has such a bright future but honestly, I'm not in it. A-and I don't want a fancy ring, a big hose, and a steady income if it means the person I have to spend the rest of my life with isn't in love with me. Call it selfish but I want to be loved."

 Taylor listened to every word the supermodel had to say word for word, almost convinced she'd read something straight out of her own heart filled journal. "No, I get it. I completely get it, Karls."

 Karlie sighed, crack a small halfhearted smile, "I don't know what to do. I'm afraid if I do what I think is best for us I'll lose him completely."

"Do you really think he's do that?"

 "No but.." Karlie shrugged, "I'm scared for the worst." 

"What are you scared of?" Taylor asked, sitting up straight to relieve her back the uncomfort of sitting in a sort of slouched position, "Besides losing him because if neither of you aren't in love then how would either of you lose anything?"

 The brunette fell silent, still twisting the small ring. She could feel her ears beginning to turn red and her heart begging to pick up it's pace. The feelings were almost identical to the night they left the pond in a bad storm. 

 "Karls?" Taylor questioned softly, tilting her head to try and find eye contact with the girl. 

 "I don't want to tell him I've been thinking about someone else every time I see him. That there was someone else on my mind instead of him."  Her hazel stayed down, focused on the wring, her skin beneath it now bright red. 

 Taylor's stomach felt like a wrench had been thrown right in the middle, hitting and knocking the breath out of her. There was someone else. She should have had something to say, something like "There is no need to feel wrong about it". She needed to be the friend Karlie needed at the time but honestly, something about there being someone else hit every nerve in her body. "Who else?" Her voice was a little too eager but there was no taking it back. 

 Her tongue ran over her lips before rubbing them together, "Uhm..You."