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“I just lost the only true family I had, and now you’re asking me to split up the rest of the family that is left.”
“This is not a family, Val. It can’t be.”
“Why not? Did this weekend mean so little to all of you? Wasn’t it proof that we can love each other in ways that most people will never experience? Why isn’t it enough?”
“Because it’s wrong.”
“Who says love is wrong?!” I shout, throwing my arms in the air at Carter’s pigheadedness.
“Because it just is. This is not how we should be. You need to come to terms with that.”
I look over at a silent Logan, who still has his head bowed.
“Logan,” I plead, hoping his logical mind will see reason.
He lets out a sigh and then looks at me, his forlorn expression breaking me in two.
“All my life, I’ve had to deal with hand me downs. Clothes, toys, school material. Everything. I had to share everything with everyone. I just want one thing to be mine, Val. I want you to just be mine and not to have just a piece of you.”
“You’ve never been selfish. Why say that now?”
“I’ve always been selfish, Val,” he huffs. “Selfish of your love, and jealous of watching you give it away.”
“You don’t mean that.” I shake my head.
“I do. God help me, I do.”
Seeing that Logan won’t help me in my plight, I turn to Quaid. “You have always been my family. You of all people know how important it is to have one. Why do this, Quaid? Why tear us apart like this?”
“I’m not the one doing it. You are, Princess. You can end our suffering today. Just choose one of us, and let the others pick up the pieces and finally start fresh.”
“So if I was to pick Logan or Carter instead of you, would I be that easy for you to forget about?” I croak, emotion making it difficult to talk.
“If I had to. I love you so fucking much, Val. But I would learn to live my life without you. As long as I knew you were happy, that would be enough for me.”
The truth in his words stops my heart completely, refusing to take another beat.
“Is that how you all feel? That I should choose one and let the other pieces of my heart die within me? Because that’s what you are asking. You’re asking me to kill off a piece of me.”
“We’re dying anyway,” Carter laments under his breath.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” I utter, more to myself than to them.
“I can’t believe it’s taken us so long. Valentina, listen to me. We can’t go on like this. I know the timing is far from ideal and you’re still grieving, but living in this purgatory isn’t good for anyone.”
“Answer me this. These past two days that we spent together, did I make you all happy?”
No reply.
“Answer me!” I yell.
“That’s not the point. Our answer won’t change the way we feel,” Carter counters, steadfast.
“But it does. We can be together. All four of us. Please don’t break us apart this way.”
They look just as devastated as I feel, but their resolve is the only thing left standing amongst the wreckage they’ve created.
“We don’t see any other way. Consider this weekend as a goodbye to two of us. You have to choose who you want in your life. Who you can’t live without.”
