Hiccstrid: An American Love Story

Chapter 56: A leap of faith

Just think about what means more to you getting over a lie and be with the love of your life or holding a grudge

Heather's words rang in my ears. It was like a record playing on repeat. I have no idea how long I've been standing there staring at my door but I know it's been awhile since Heather slammed the door. Yet, her words kept ringing in my head.

Just think about what means more to you getting over a lie and be with the love of your life or holding a grudge

Like waking up from a dream I'm myself again. Yet I feel different. The hurt and pain that I tried to cover up with tequila is gone. It's like his identity doesn't matter anymore. My head feel cloudy as I slowly move my body towards the kitchen. I grab my laptop from my kitchen table and move towards my bed.

I place it on my bed more and sit beside it. As I open up the screen Heather's words are replaced with the frase I'm crazy. Aware of my craziness Start typing words into google. My fingers automatically take me to a plane selling website. The website asks for a destination, depart and return date. Determined, I in the words:

Depart: tomorrow
Return: unsure
Destination: New York

My body pauses for a second as I read closely what I just typed. I feel ripped apart as my mind is debating whether or not to search for tickets to New York. I try to think rationally but I've had too much to drink to do that.

So at last hit search. I scroll trough the may plane ticket options thinking I'm crazy. After picking the cheapest I just have to put in my card information. I'm a robot as I fill it out. But when it says confirm I pause again.

What am I doing? Running after a guy I hate and despise. Following a man so selfish our entire relationship was build on a lie. Going after a person who didn't just made me break my own rule and my beliefs but he broke my heart too.

I don't need to fall at his feet just because he's the first guy who cut me to the bone. And I won't miss those sparks in our kisses. It might have felt magical but it was all a lie. I'll be enchanted again with another guy, a truthful guy.

I have to stay and get over him. It'll take time to heal the hole in my heart, but I can pretend it's still beating. I can get up, go to class and then to work. My ship isn't sinking it's just sailing away from him and his lies, maybe with a brave face I can get through it. If I suppress Heather's words then maybe I can fool myself. I'll keep telling myself I'm over him until it's true. I'll be the queen of wishful thinking.

I look at my laptop. It's incredible how one little click can mean so much. To go to New York or not to go. To leap into a free fall or stay in my comfort zone. As I sit there counting the pros and cons I can't help but think of the night we decided to make us work. The night of our blind date that ended better than it started.

"So how do we make this work?" I asksed.

"Well the biggest difficulty is we live in different states" I continued. It wasn't an easy conversation to have on our first real date but we had to have it. Hiccup's face gave away that this subject wasn't his favorite either.

"Yeah" He agreed with me.

"I'll quit my job" the sudden outburst made my eyes widen in surprise. Quitting ones dream job isn't a small gesture. Having to leave the job you've been working so hard to get isn't a small offer.

"No, you can't you love your job" I replied.

"Yeah well there's a lot of opportunities for me everywhere I'm sure I can find something in LA" He said and gave me a smile. He has seemed certain like he didn't need to give it a second thought. It showed me how much he wanted it, but I couldn't let him quit his job nor leave his passion.

"No I don't want you to leave Columbia" I responded and looked down. For some time I had debated whether or not to move to New York after college. And if he's willing to move for me then so am I.

"I mean" she started and He followed carefully "I graduate in 4 months and New York does have a lot of journalism and activist opportunities"

He smiled brightly at my offer like a kid on their birthday. He hadn't stopped smiling as he grabbed my hand and kissed it.

"I'll extend my trip and we can forgive this out after you've graduated" I returned his smile and sipped my beer. As happy as I was I was also surprised how much time he could take off work.

"Can you really take 5 months of vacation?" I asked him trying to find clarity to my wondering.

"I haven't taken a break from work in 3 years" He replies and I smiled. I had imagined him standing there at my graduation and the two of us in an apartment in New York. Just Him, I and the skyscrapers.

"So I think they owe me some vacation days"

I was so happy. Smile smile was bright enough to replace the sun knowing that him and I would work out. We both raised our beers to love.

I had been so sure that him and I would make it. We were ready to face anything and everything. But just as we thought we had sorted everything out I found out it was all based on a lie. The love, the smiles, the laughs was all as fake as our relationship.

But as fake as I keep telling myself it was it felt so sincere and real. He turned my world upside down and made me go crazy. Now left is right and right is left. How can I know what to do when I don't know what's right anymore?

Just think about what means more to you getting over a lie and be with the love of your life or holding a grudge

Click. The sound felt louder than it was. It felt like lightning going trough my laptop and up trough my arm. The motion was so quick my mind couldn't comprehend it until after it was too late. I sat there for a second before almost bursting out in a scream. I'm going to New York. The confirming Email came shortly after insuring me that I'd passed the point of no return.

A lot of people after buying a plane ticket gets stressed about stuff like finding a hotel, renting a car and figuring out what to pack. But all I can think about right now is Hiccup.

I felt betrayed but Heather is right. What we had was real and if I want true love I have to fight for it. I ran from him in Missouri but this time I'm running after him. We all make mistakes but I won't make the mistake of letting us go.

This chapter might seem kind of dull to someone, and it isn't filled with a lot of dialogue nor Hiccstrid. But it's filled with self development. This is the chapter where Astrid has the most character development.

This is the last chapter... that is normal😉

The next three chapters are going to be very special. It's three chapters all 2000+ words, each one with their own individual cover and of course a lot of action. The finale is going to be epic! So stay tuned, believe me, you don't want to miss this❤️

Spoiler for next chapter:

"You're in New York, no joke?"