We Started Out Like a Song | Seaycee Short Stories

And There It Is

She draws in a sharp breath in an effort to stop her eyes from pathetically tearing up in front of him. He softly holds on to her hands despite her best efforts to gently pull away, his eyes filled with sadness and sympathy as he patiently waits for her response. All Kaycee can manage is a quiet and pitiful, "What?"

Gabe sighs, not wanting to repeat himself and break her all over again. "I want to end this."

This time, Kaycee doesn't fight the aching inside and allows herself to be vulnerable in front of him - because Gabe has always been the only person in Kaycee's life that made her feel safe enough to let her walls down. They had been partners and best friends since they were children, brought together by their explosive talent and love for dance. As they matured, the nature of their relationship had matured as well, and their love for dance had evolved into a mutual love and respect for one another.

Over the years, their careers had flourished, Kaycee's especially. She had only let the world see her at her best, but Gabe was the one who provided her a safe haven when she was at her worst - when the world had run her down and it all became too much. To be stripped of that so suddenly would be cruel.

And so desperation and panic began to take over.

"Gabe, why?" Kaycee chokes out, as violent sobs begin to rack her body. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Kaycee, no." Gabe says gently, pulling her in so that she can cry into his chest - a position they were both all too familiar with. "I promise you that it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. You are perfect and you have always been perfect."

Kaycee backs away from him with an incredulous look on her face. "Then why is this ending? We have everything we've ever worked for and we're only seventeen and eighteen years old! We're successful, we're in love... why end it now? We have our whole life set for us, Gabe. I've wanted to be your wife since I was ju-"

"Cassie," he starts, affectionately and effectively cutting her off using the nickname he made up for her when they were kids. "I know. And there was a time when I thought to myself 'I could die happy right now knowing that this is my career and I'm going to marry my best friend and be Kaycee's husband.' But somewhere down the road, my dream changed. I want more for myself. At first, I thought I just wanted to end our dance partnership and to venture out to explore more solo opportunities. When I was given solo opportunities, it wasn't enough - I still craved more. There was so much life to experience outside of this relationship but I tried to convince myself that I didn't want it, didn't need it."

He looks at Kaycee, now with a brokenness to match hers. He never meant to hurt her but he knew that there wasn't any way around it. How can you end a 10 year partnership, relationship, without breaking the both of them?

You can't.

Gabe took in a deep, shaky breath. "I am so sorry, love."

Kaycee continues to cry, but her focus is now on the view of the Manhattan skyline. She had been looking forward to this year's Main Event as a chance to celebrate her love for dance and her long relationship with her partner. What was supposed to be a fun and informative weekend of dance and fellowship between herself, choreographers, and other talented dancers that she had formed friendships with over the years had been cruelly taken away from her too.

Now, she was forced to say goodbye to everything that had comforted her for the last ten years on this lonely, cold Brooklyn balcony. 

"So... what you're saying is, even though I didn't do anything wrong, I just wasn't enough... Is that what you're trying to say?" She says quietly after a few moments, her breathing finally starting to calm down.