Page 25 of Written in the Stars
ELLE (5:26 P.M.):we can rendezvous at your place since i know where you live
DARCY (5:33 P.M.):That’s fine.
Elle tucked her phone inside her messenger bag and slipped the strap over her shoulder. It was—she peeked at the Kit-Catclock that hung crooked on the wall beside the microwave—ten to six. Just enough time to stop by Safeway before darting over to Darcy’s posh Queen Anne apartment.
Hopping off the barstool, Elle glanced at Margot who continued to click away at her keyboard, pausing every now and again to glare menacingly at the screen. “I’m headed out. I guess I’ll see you later if you’re still awake.”
She made it halfway to the front door—the whole two steps it took—when Margot sighed. “Elle, wait.”
Elle bit the inside of her cheek and braced herself for another dig at what she was doing with Darcy. “Yeah?”
Margot set her computer aside and rested her elbows on her knees, fingers laced loosely together in front of her. “When I said you were making an epic mistake the other night, I was out of line. I’m... I’m sorry.”
Elle shut her mouth. Apologies from Margot were rare. Just as rare as the arguments between them. “You don’t have to—”
“No, I do.” Margot blew out a breath, the thick fringe of her bangs parting like a curtain. “I’m pissed off, okay? On your behalf. And I know you think because Darcy apologized that it’s fine now, but sometimes sorry isn’t good enough, Elle. The last thing I want to do is harsh your vibe or rain on your parade, but I take no shit on your behalf. I haven’t since the day we moved into the dorms freshman year and you demanded we stay up all night bonding over burnt microwave popcorn because you, and I quote,have a feeling we’re supposed to be best friends. I’m not going to start now.”
Elle wasn’t sure whether she was supposed to laugh or cry.Caught in a state of flux, she did both at the same time. She swiped at her face, no doubt smearing eyeliner all over the place. But the pressure inside her chest that had taken up residence during her sort-of tiff with Margot deflated, leaving room for her heart to swell. “Margot. That was nine years ago.”
“Stop crying.” Margot sniffed, her expression shifting into a put-off frown. “You’re going to make me cry. Ihatecrying. Don’t hate me, but please hear me out?”
It would take an utterly uncharacteristic move on Margot’s part, like murdering someone, to make Elle hate her. Even then, Elle would at least ask why before passing judgment.
“You were really upset the other night. I know you were trying to put on a brave face, but it was obvious Darcy hurt you. Worse than you let on. Now you’re agreeing to fake a relationship with her? Because of your family? Elle, if they can’t see how amazing you are... this isn’t worth it.”
Elle ground the toe of her boot into the rug, tracing the singe mark in the paisley pattern from the Birthday Sparkler Incident of 2017.
“I don’t really know what I’m doing,” she admitted. The lump inside her throat grew, forcing her to swallow to keep her voice from cracking. “I’m just tired of falling short, Mar.”
Margot’s face crumpled. “Elle—”
She jerked her chin and sniffed hard, blinking away the film of tears blurring her vision. She smiled and shrugged. “If I can get my family to take me seriously aboutonething, see that I have my life together in a way that makes sense to them, maybe they’ll come around to the rest.”
Margot shook her head. “So you’re throwing in the towel?You’re going to be like Lydia now? Dating the sorts of people your parents want and shrinking yourself down to be palatable to people who don’tgetyou? Who don’t even try?”
No.Godno. Elle wasn’t going to actually compromise who she was or how she lived her life. No, this was a blip on Elle’s radar, a pit stop, a means to an end. Elle wasn’t settling. She just wanted her parents to be proud of her for who she was. If she had to speak their language for a brief bit of time, what was the harm? “No way. This is fake. I just want them to understand I’m not the letdown they think I am. Maybe hearing how awesome I am from someone else, someone like Darcy who’s the sort of person who satisfies their wholenine-to-five I’m a serious adultvibe, will help.”
Margot stuck out her tongue, eyes rolling. “Boring, you mean?”
Elle shrugged. “Besides, it’s cuffing season and Lydia’s got a boyfriend. Jane’s got Gabe and Daniel has Mike and I’m just—Elle. I’m not exactly jazzed about spending another holiday alone as the black sheep of the family.”
“Just Elleis pretty great.” Margot smiled. “But I get it. I mean, I might not be in your shoes, but I understand where you’re coming from. I just want you to remember that you deserve someone you don’t have to fake it with.” Both her brows rose. “And I mean that in all ways.”
Elle cracked a smile. “Thanks.”
“But seriously, have you thought about what you’re going to do when your two months are up? How are you going to spin your breakup that doesn’t make you look like you can’t hold down a relationship?”
Elle grimaced. That would be counterintuitive. “I’m thinking we’ll split because of some crucial but faultless incompatibility like... I don’t know, I want kids but she doesn’t.”
Breakups happened all the time. There didn’t need to be culpability. It could be a mature split that in no way served as a blight on Elle’s character.
“Doesshe want kids?”
“I don’t know.”
Margot frowned. “Don’t you think that’s something you should probably discuss before you start making plans? Kids might be excessive, butthings? Her favorite color. Food allergies. I don’t know.”
She nodded. “I’m headed to her place now, actually. We’re going to get to know each other so we can make this whole thing a little more believable.”
