Who We Are (A Zodiac Story)

POV: Capricorn (Part 2)

Taurus lays his head against the countertop, the weight of his frustration evident in the way he lets out a heavy, exasperated breath that ruffles his messy hair slightly. "This blows..." he mumbles, his voice tinged with defeat.

After sending the planets on their way, Taurus and I were alone in the kitchen. As the designated chore-duty member for the night, I was loading the dishwasher, efficiently stacking the dirty dishes and glassware. Libra had also been assigned this task, but she was avoiding me, keeping her distance - likely still harboring some resentment from our previous interactions. Taurus has offered to keep me company, but his gloomy demeanor is doing little to lighten the mood.

I can't help but glance at him suspiciously out of the corner of my eye as I finish up, my curiosity piqued by his uncharacteristic sullenness. "Which girl is it this time?" I ask, a hint of amused exasperation in my tone. Knowing Taurus, he only ever gets this somber and withdrawn when one of his forbidden relationships is troubling him. "I didn't know you were seeing anyone."

Taurus turns his head to face me, ignoring my question and changing the subject instead. "Do you remember those girls at Sunny's party?" he asks, his eyes staring at me with an intense, probing gaze as he awaits my response.

I let out a scoff, as if I could ever forget the trouble he caused me that day. "Oh, you mean the ones that you ditched me for?" I ask sarcastically, the bitterness of that memory still recognizable in my tone. "Yeah, I remember."

Taurus sighs heavily, running his fingers through his disheveled locks in a gesture of shame. "After we talked, I slept with them. All of them...at the same time."

My face twists in disgust at the graphic details. "Okay, I really didn't need to know that" I say, wishing I could erase the mental image he's just planted in my mind.

Taurus sighs again, then sits up straight, folding his muscular arms over the countertop. "And once it was over, I just felt so...empty," he confesses, his lips tugging into a deep troubled frown. "Like...I wasn't worth anything."

I scan his demeanor, trying to understand what exactly is bothering him. It's clear that a lot is weighing on his mind, enough heavy thoughts to drive him to this introspective, self-reflective state. I move closer to the counter, positioning myself across from where Taurus is seated. "Why are you telling me this?" I wonder aloud, my eyes filled with genuine concern and a hint of curiosity.

Taurus looks up, his deep brown eyes meeting mine, "I don't know," he answers simply, the vulnerability in his gaze undeniable. "Don't you ever feel like that?" he asks, his tone almost desperate, as if seeking solace in the hope that he's not entirely alone in these feelings of utter worthlessness.

Buzz. Buzz.

The sound of my phone buzzing in my pocket, draws my attention away from Taurus' emotional turmoil. I dug it out, finding a message from Sunny, complete with a photo attached. Curious, I unlocked my phone and checked it out, Sunny's half-naked, alluring form greeting me on the screen.

Her luscious, sun-kissed skin is barely concealed by the sheer, lacy lingerie she's wearing, accentuating the generous curves of her breasts and hips. Her lips are parted in a seductive pout, her eyes hooded with desire as she gazes directly into the camera, silently beckoning me to surrender to her charms.

A soft sigh escapes my lips as I examine the image, a normal guy would doubtlessly feel excited by his girlfriend's sexy display. But for me, the response is decidedly muted. "...No," I lied, quickly locking my phone and shoving it back into my pocket, my gaze returning to Taurus.

We settle into a moment of silence, the only sounds in the kitchen being the gentle hum of the running dishwasher and the soft scrape of the cloth as I continue meticulously tidying the pristine countertops.