Dancing In The Stars

- 34 -

A/N- I low key love this chapter. How often is it that you see a woman stand up for her needs rather than letting her love for a guy disrupt her future in a romance novel? (No hate to men, y'all are awesome 👏 ❤️)

- Sagittarius -

I fold the green shirt carefully and tuck it into the suitcase.

"Hey,"

The sound shocks me to reality. I look to the door to see Aquarius standing there watching me, his arms folded behind his back.

"Hi," I say, and continue to fold.

"Don't move to New York," he says.

"I'm sorry?" I say calmly, my eyes focused on my hands folding my clothes the smallest that they could be.

"Don't leave."

"This is my dream. This is what I have to do."

"You don't have to,"

"I broke up with my boyfriend for this,"

"You dated for a damn week, it doesn't count," He snaps.

I don't answer for a minute. I contain myself, trying not to yell, "I need this,"

"You don't have to," He says quietly, walking towards me and sitting in front of me.

"You don't get it, I need to. I need to,"

"Why?" He yells.

"Stop yelling at me!" I yell at him.

"I'm sorry," he takes my hand. "I just. I don't want you to leave. It's not fair. We lost Libra, and I can't lose you too."

"I lost Libra too," I snap, shaking his hand off mine.

"I know. I said we. Damn it, Sag. You're not hearing me,"

"And you're not hearing me! I need to go," I say each word slowly.

"I've always been in love with you. You can't just leave me,"

"What the fuck, Aquarius?" I say, looking up at him. "You know, it's funny. I've been living with you for so long and you haven't dared to mention your so called love for me. Now that I'm leaving you wanna love me?"

"No, it's not like that. You've -"

"Stop interrupting me. I can't survive. I can not survive here, not with the memory of her. Not with the idea in my head constantly that if I'd known sooner, I could've been there. I could've helped, maybe I could've saved her, and -"

"But you couldn't have,"

"How do you know?" I say, leaning forward so that my words penetrate with meaning. I sit back again. "You don't know that. You don't know."

"So what's leaving going to do?"

"I got accepted to a really good college. I'll finish my college years there, then I'll go to medical school. I want this so bad,"

"By the time you get out, you're gonna be 40. It's gonna be too late."

"You don't understand." I shut my eyes tightly, take a deep breath, and open my eyes. "I want to feel like I did something."

"This is your grief talking. What are you gonna do when you start to recover and you realize that this was a mistake?"

"How dare you talk to me like I'm stupid? This is a life changing decision, I know. I wouldn't make it without putting a lot of thought into it. It's been five months. Five. I want this, I need this."

"Don't leave me,"

"I can't be with you. I can't. It hurts too much. I don't want to, even if I do love you. I'm leaving, and you can't make me change my decision. Aquarius, I'm not doing this to please you or to please anybody. I'm doing it for myself. For once in my life, I'm doing what I want. It feels amazing... I can't tell you how good it feels." I shake my head, a smile on my face. "You're great, but I am too-"

"I know you are, and-"

"Listen to me. I feel like I'm floating on cloud 9. I feel independent, not alone. I know what I want, I know it's gonna be hard as hell, and I know it's gonna be a shitty process that puts me through hell, but at least I'm doing it for me. This is what I need, and I need you to understand. I'm leaving everything behind, I'm starting fresh. I'll miss you and everyone else, but this is my future."

"So, what about me? What am I? What are all of our friends? Are we your past?"

"Well... I mean... yes, I guess you are. It's nothing personal, I just need to be me."

"Without all the baggage?"

"Oh. This isn't about you. It's always been about everyone else and what they want. Not this time, this is about me, and it's not rude. It's not because I don't love you, or I don't love our friends. I know it's hard to understand, but-"

"No, I get it. It's okay. Follow your dreams," he takes my hand again. "But if you ever need something to fall back on... if you ever need somebody, I'm always gonna be here loving you. I'll never stop,"

I squeeze his hand and smile, "Don't wait up,"