Theweof it all.
Wearen’t going to do another album.
Everything slowed down again. The world went back to normal speed, as she stared at them. First at Blythe, who looked so much more emotional than she usually ever did. Then at Emerson, who looked deeply worried.
Then she took a step back, a step away from them, and looked at them standing there, together.
“You… youtwoare totally in agreement.”
That hit her heavily, like a second blow. Itwasa second, entirely separate blow from We, The Romantics dissolving in front of her very eyes.
She saw how Blythe and Emerson exchanged a look, and it made taking her next breathhurt. Because – because she was on the outside.
In this moment, it wasn’t the three of them, together. It wasn’t Darcy-and-Blythe, sisters. It wasn’t Darcy-and-Emerson, best friends.
“How long have you two been talking about this?” She asked, quietly, a terrifying calm washing over her.
A calm before the storm, she could feel it brewing. She was going to fucking crash. Like, in a big way.
“Just… we really only came to the solid conclusion in the last couple of weeks on tour,” Emerson explained, wincing.
“A couple of weeks,” she echoed, hollowly.
Weeks.
She’dneverfelt betrayed by either Blythe or Emerson, before. Never in her life. Individually or otherwise.
“This is thebiggestthing that–” A shuddering breath snuck up on her, and she reached up, pressing her hand over her mouth. Trying to smother the emotions back down that she could feel about to erupt. “The biggest decision you could make, and you made it together. Weeks ago. Without me.”
It was falling apart. Everything was falling apart in front of her, and she couldn’t do anything to stop it. They’d made their decision.
She’ddoneeverything she could, though, hadn’t she?
She’d done all of the breathing exercises with Emerson, she’d done all of the talking for her whenever she made the signal, she was totally fine whenever they skipped out on events that made her uncomfortable.
She’d bent over backwards to arrange their schedule so Blythe would always be able to have her time with Colton, every night.
She’d gone to parties alone, she’d gone to editing and production meetings alone, she’d tried to juggle it all to make it work. She’d obsessed within an inch of her life to make sure it was perfect, to make sure they were successful. To make sure it waswortheverything Blythe and Emerson had worked for with her.
She’d triedso hardto be the glue that kept them going.
And it hadn’t been enough.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she distantly heard somethingsnap. Something broke, something that she hadn’t even been aware of.
Because suddenly, she felt totally untethered.
Numb with it, she turned and started toward the door.
“Darcy, stop.” Blythe finally seemed to find the strength in her voice. “Let’s just – have dinner. We can let this settle, and talk things out, and–”
“I can’t talk about this right now,” she muttered, shaking her head without turning around. She could already feel it in her chest, the erratic way her heart was beating. She was going to fucking crumble at any moment.
“Where are you going? You don’t have your car,” her sister pointed out, her voice close behind Darcy. Obviously having kept pace with her, hovering behind her.
Darcy did turn around, then. Turning so suddenly, Blythe stumbled back a step. Emerson, too, who had been right behind Blythe.
“You two had weeks to think about this and be okay with it. I think I deserve a little time of my own.”
