Saturday night pulsed with neon and bass. Kara sat wedged between Alva and Alec's girlfriend, a drink sweating in her hand, her eyes glued to the glowing screen of her phone. Every few seconds, she checked. Nothing. Then checked again.
Alva nudged her. "She's coming, right?"
"She said she would," Kara muttered, fingers drumming on her glass. Her stomach twisted tight. This was the last weekend. She needed Willow to be here.
And there she was. Willow, stepping through the crowd with her bright smile, hair catching the club lights. Kara stood so fast her chair scraped the floor.
They collided in a hug, Willow's lips pressing against hers, breathless kisses that tasted like relief and longing.
"I missed you," Willow whispered against her mouth.
Kara cupped her face, drinking her in. "God, me too."
But Willow pulled back, her eyes flicking toward the exit. "Come with me. Just for a bit."
The car smelled faintly of vanilla and sweat, windows fogging as soon as they slammed the doors shut. Their hands fumbled, lips bruised, clothes pulled and pushed. It was desperate, messy, the kind of intimacy that blurred hurt into heat.
After, silence thickened the air. Kara leaned against the seat, breath ragged, skin still buzzing. Willow traced circles on her wrist, her face serious now.
"Kara… there's something I didn't tell you."
Kara frowned, stomach dropping. "What do you mean?"
"These past two weeks..." Willow swallowed hard. "I wasn't just busy. I was preparing my passport. My visa."
Kara blinked. "For what?"
Willow's voice cracked. "I applied for a job. Overseas. On a cruise. Months ago, I'm sorry"
The world tilted. Kara sat up straighter, heart pounding. "Months ago? You..How dare you?!" Her voice broke, sharp and trembling. "You let me think I was the one leaving you, when all this time…?"
Willow's eyes glistened. "I didn't know how to tell you. I wasn't even sure until after you said Bali. Then I knew I had to take it seriously."
Kara's throat burned. "So all those fights, all those accusations! you said I was abandoning you. And now you tell me you were planning this first?"
"It's not like that," Willow pleaded. "I just.. this is my chance, Kara. The contract is only three years. I'll get two months off every six" she take a deep breath and continue "But while I'm there… communication will be hard. And you.." She hesitated. "You don't do well with distance. You'll get lonely. I'll get protective. And that's how we break each other."
Kara's laugh was sharp, bitter. "You're unbelievable. You made me feel guilty, like I was selfish for wanting Bali, like I was the one tearing us apart. But you had this lined up months ago."
Willow flinched. "I wasn't sure then. I only got serious about it because of you, because when you said you were leaving, I realized I had to move too. Otherwise I'd be stuck here."
Kara shook her head, heart cracking. "So it's my fault you're leaving? You're turning this around on me?"
"I'm not turning it around," Willow said, voice tight. "I'm saying… you pushed me to face it. You made me realize I couldn't just wait around. Isn't that what you'd want for me? To do something with my life?"
Kara stared at her, jaw clenched, betrayal digging deeper. "Don't you dare make this about me. Don't you dare act like I forced your hand. You wanted this. You planned this. You just didn't trust me enough to tell me."
Willow's tears brimmed, her tone softening like she was soothing a child. "Kara… I only got serious because of you. Because I couldn't watch you go while I stayed behind. I had to have something too."
Kara's voice cracked, low and furious. "You think that makes me feel better? You think that makes the lying okay?"
For a moment, the only sound was their ragged breathing, the rain beginning to patter faintly against the windshield.
Finally, Kara whispered, almost choking on the words, "Say it."
Willow's tears finally spilled. "We should break up. It's the only way we don't destroy each other."
Kara looked away, out the fogged window, fighting her own tears. "Fine. If that's what you want."
Just then, a knock on the glass. Alva's face appeared, half-drunken grin. "Oi! Lovebirds. Come on, the night's still young."
Kara wiped her eyes quickly, forcing a smirk as she opened the door. "Coming."