Girl Stellar [Shourtney]

12. Pisces

-/-/-

If you love someone, let them go. It was a stupid saying I never believed in, thinking that loving someone meant holding them as close as you can to their heart. But I didn't need to do that as long as I knew my heart was always hers.

When eleven struck the clock, I was driving Courtney to where she and Anthony had to leave, which was the meadow. This had become such an iconic place for me when it came to festivities, carnivals, and confessions of love. But now, it's also going to be the place where I see her for the last time in my entire life. On the ride there, I even looked at her several times, making sure I remembered how she looked like. Photos could never compare. Videos were nothing to me. I even held her hand so tightly that I could feel her ring leaving a mark on my hand. If she could make a permanent scar on my hand, it would always be the outline of that ring.

Damien would probably tell me tomorrow when I get back to work, that I should have tried getting Courtney to stay. He would even tell me that I should have just hidden her or whatever, but what does Damien know about love? I mean, aside from everything because Damien loves love. But his soulmate was a journalist who had chocolate hair, green eyes, and a smile. My soulmate was the universe's designated matchmaker, a different creature, and an immortal being who had to leave Earth as soon as she could. The stakes were different.

I play a song on the radio, watching Courtney lean her head against the window. She's tired, probably of today and of everything she's done for a while. I wish she could take a break when she's at work, but I don't even know how she works. I don't even know how she'll keep an eye on me. I just know she will, but sadly, that'll cost her such a long time of rest that she could get.

In short, I was sad about her leaving, but it was the right choice. I always told my patients that it was alright to be sad after making the right choices in life. Now that it applies to me, I get it why it's so difficult to trust someone like me, spitting out advice for things I never experience.

I think about how empty the office has felt ever since Courtney left, and now the entirety of the world would feel like that. Since I don't have any plans on changing my life, maybe I'll move with my brothers to Colorado. I'll never marry, so I'll be staying with my nieces, treating them as if they were my kids. I'd have a clinic of my own in there, and even though there may be less potential clients, I'll know what to do now with advertising and promotion. I knew what to do now, and all of that was because Courtney came into my life.

When we arrive to the meadow, I look around the area to see no one. Anthony probably hasn't arrived yet. Courtney's asleep, and I take a photo of her one last time. I said that photos wouldn't compare, but it's the closest I'll ever have of her. The ring shines on her finger, reflecting moonlight. When she opens her eyes, with light hitting her face, that's when I really see the glitter. Eyes literally made out of stars. She really did belong to the universe, but tonight and forever, she was mine.

"Is Anthony here?" she mumbles, rubbing her eyes. "He should be here by now..."

"There doesn't seem to be a sign of anyone around," I reply, looking around again. "So how do you find the pod?"

"Oh, only us Realm beings can find it," she answers, yawning. "If I do find it, I'll try to start recalibrating it back to the Realm so that we'd be able to leave earlier."

"Aren't you scared or anything?" I ask her, holding her hand. "People from hell are literally chasing you."

"I am, yeah," she answers. "But you're here. Anthony will be here too. I think I know what I'm doing."

We both then hear a sound of a dashing motorcycle nearing the meadow, turning around only to see a huge cloud of darkness following the bike. We both get out of our car, and Courtney stares at it before shouting, "Shit! Those are from the Unknown, I need to find the pod now!"