Page 54 of If the Stars Align
It’s Dex.
I bolt past my mom and down the stairs, and she’s right on my heels, still yelling at me, but I don’t register what she’s saying. I have to get to Dex before she does. I swing open the door before he rings the bell. He looks alarmed.
I throw my arms around him and bury my face in his neck.
“I can’t live like this anymore, Dex,” I whisper. “I want to be with you.”
Ihave neverseen Sunny’s mom this mad in my entire life. And that’s saying something. As Sunny clings to me, sobbing and shaking, my first instinct is to take her in my arms, put her in my car, and drive away while I’m still breathing. Her mom looks like she wants to kill me with her bare hands. But when Sunny pulls away, she threads her fingers through mine and leads me past her mom, into their house.
Fuck.
As soon as the door’s closed, her mom starts screaming at me. “Did you put her up to this? Was thisyourbrilliant idea, or?—”
“Mom, this wasmydecision,” Sunny interjects. “I haven’t even told him yet.”
“Told me what?” I ask. I keep my focus on Sunny’s sweet, beautiful face because, if I catch a glimpse of her mom’s bulging eyes one more time, there’s a good chance I’ll have a panic attack.
“She wants to move toLos Angeles,” I hear her mom spit out. Sunny smiles at me through her tears.
She wants to move to LA with me.
My dad got a clean bill of health today—and nowthis. It’s the best goddamn day of my life.
“But what about law school?” I ask Sunny as soon as it occurs to me.
“There are law schools in LA. But honestly, I think I’d be happier writing. I could get an MFA?—”
“Sunny, did you really graduate with honors in political science so you could write smutty love stories?” her mom snorts. “This is a joke! Writing romance is for bored housewives. You’re way too smart for that. And why doyouhave to be the one to make sacrifices forhim?” she continues, pointing a shaky finger at me. I’m still looking away from her, but I can see it out of the corner of my eye. “Why doesn’themove to Indiana? Give uphiscareer?”
“That doesn’t make sense, Mom,” Sunny says. “Dex has dreamed of being an actor since he was a kid.” She faces me. “I’d never want you to give up that dream for me.”
Before I have a chance to respond, Sunny turns back to her mom. “Dex was born to be a star. You’ve seen him perform—you knowhis talent is rare. Acting is his craft, and he’d be doing the world a disservice by not sharing it. Not to mention, he loves it. Nothing makes him happier.”
It’s the truth. Nothing else makes me as happy—except Sunny. But I can’t rely on her to be my only source of joy. It wouldn’t be fair.
“Besides,” Sunny continues. “Don’t I deserve to be happy too?”
“Happiness is fleeting,” her mom yells. “You have to be practical, Sunny. Exactly how do you plan to pay for an MFA?Because I sure as hell won’t be helping.”
Sunny’s bottom lip quivers, but she holds her ground. “I’ll get a loan,” she says.
Her mom crosses her arms and laugh. “And be in debt for the rest of your life? Writers don’t make money, sweetie. How will you pay it back?”
This is where I come in.“We’ll be fine, Sunny. I’ll start auditioning as soon as we get to LA. I’ll take any roles I get. We’ll save some money. And one day, I’ll make it big. I promise you, I won’t give up until it happens.”
I regret the words as soon as they come out of my mouth. How can I promise that I’ll be a successful actor? Entertainment is the most fickle business there is. Even if I bust my ass, there’s only so much I can control. Whether or not I get my big break could simply boil down to luck.
Sunny slowly turns her gaze from me to her mom, who takes the opportunity to lay into her again. “Is that really what you want to do, Sunny? Wait for your actor boyfriend to become rich and famous so he can pay off your debt?”
She makes us sound pathetic. And Sunny’s so pragmatic. There’s no way she’ll go through with this.
Will she?
I never dared to dream that Sunny would come back to LA with me—but shewantsto. Is she really going to let her mom get in the way?
I look over at Sunny, hoping she’ll say something to put my mind at ease. But her mom’s not done quite yet.
“If you go to California, Sunny, I will not pay your way.But if you attend Indiana University—like we planned—you won’t have to worry about a thing. I’ll cover your tuition, your apartment, your food…all of it. It’s only three years. He can wait. If he cares enough about you, he’lllet you go.”
