Life seemed so simple in his arms. It was so easy to forget about the rest of the world, stories unedited, papers stacked high on her desk, endless hours of work left undone, and life altering decisions looming overhead. Nothing else mattered. And for some reason, that frightened her. What would she become if she let go of all of her responsibilities to follow after Pacey... a doting housewife, good for nothing but baking cookies and popping out babies? That's not what she spent her whole life dreaming of. Pacey had always made the sacrifices in their relationship. He was good at it, and maybe she just...wasn't.

"I'm glad you're home." His words brought her back into reality.

"Me too." She smiled, but did not quite feel the happiness that should go along with it.

"I hate when you have to work late."

"I know, me too."

"I don't know how much more time I can spend away from you, Potter."

"I know, Pace. I'm sorry. Work is just swamped right now. I'm sure things will get better soon."

"Will it, Joe?"

"What do you mean?"

"Ever since you've taken this job you've been swamped. You never came home to visit. I felt like I hadn't seen you in ages before Gale's wedding."

"I know, I...should have...I mean I wanted to, but...."

"I mean, is this the way you want to live your life?" He interrupted her.

"And what way exactly am I living?" Her smile had completely faded.

"Working late, never home, never seeing your devilishly handsome boyfriend?" He hoped the humor would keep the conversation light, though he seriously doubted it.

"I'm happy with my job, if that's what your asking. And if I'm never home how come I'm here now?" She wasn't sure where this was going but she was trying to keep the conversation as light as possible, as well.

"Well....its just that if we were in Capeside we could be together more often. The Icehouse is completely covered at night so we could spend most of the evenings together." He leaned in to hold her but she leaned away.

"Are you saying you want me to quit my job??"

"Well, its just an option, Joe. I'm leaving in two days, in case you have forgotten, and we have to decide on something."

"I know Pacey, but what happened to you willing to do just about anything to be with me? Now all of a sudden its all on me!"

"Oh, I see. It was never an option for you to make a sacrifice. You were just waiting for me to do it, as usual." He no longer could keep the conversation civil. "I mean, that's what I do right? I follow you to Boston. I wait around for you. I step aside when you decide someone better comes along. Yet there I am still waiting in the wings for you when you finally decide to come home to Capeside and grace us with your presence!"

"Pacey! I never asked you to wait around!"

"That's all you have to say about what I just said?! Suddenly, I don't know why I am even here?"

"Pacey, don't say that. I want you to be here, but I don't know what you expect from me?

Do you expect me to just leave everything I've worked for behind and become your little sidekick of a wife who spends all her time with the ladies at the country club drinking tea while our husbands of superior intellect go discuss politics over a game of golf?"

"Joey, how could you even say that?! You know that's not what I want. You could work in Capeside just as easily as you could here."

"That's funny. Didn't you always tell me if I stayed in Capeside I would just end up waitressing tables my whole life? That's what would happen Pacey."

"Well, I don't know what else to do Joey! I finally found something I'm good at, so you're just going to have to excuse me if I'm not quite prepared to give that up right now."

"I know, Pacey." She grabbed him and held him in her arms, regretting the horrible things she had said.

"You're right, though." He looked up into her beautiful eyes. "I can't ask you to give up your dream." They sat in silence for a moment not knowing what to say. "But that just leaves us right back where we started."

"I know." It took all she had to hold back tears. She felt like she was losing him.

"Maybe....I should just go."

"What?!"

"Just for awhile so that we can sort through our thoughts and somehow come to a conclusion. I mean, do you have any other ideas?"

"I guess not. But how come this feels like goodbye?"

"It's not Joey. I'm not letting you go this time. I love you."

"I love you too."

If they loved each other so much, how come she felt so horrible? Her life was not so picture perfect anymore. But she was determined to find a way for them to be together.