Kasey thought that she would get to sleep more. But then Jace called her, saying that he wanted to talk. And Jace was someone Kasey would never turn down, no matter how tired she was. 

She met him at the cafe where they'd first had coffee. She ordered the same thing- frozen hot chocolate. Some things didn't change.

They waited for their drinks a little awkwardly before Kasey finally spoke.

"So. How are you?" 

"I've been better," Jace said, stirring his coffee. "We're packing our stuff up out of our dressing rooms. We close in January."

"I'm sorry-"

He held up his hand. "Do you have any idea what Tangled means to me, Kasey?" he interrupted. "It was my life for four years. Four years. I originated Flynn Rider. I was part of the planning process. I thought it would go forever. I wanted it to. It deserved that right. It was the best show on Broadway. You can't even deny it. It should have gotten more recognition, and for it to be knocked off Broadway by Frozen, of all things."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kasey demanded. "'Of all the things?'"

"The only reason that Frozen is going on Broadway is because of the little girls that scream 'Let it Go' nonstop," Jace snapped. "Disney is only trying to net the Frozen fanatics. It won't last."

"You have no right," Kasey said coldly. "Just because you love Tangled doesn't give you the right to say whatever you want about the show. Are you seriously trying to say that Tangled wasn't to appeal to the younger generations? I'm sure Tangled had a few fanatics of their own."

"Never compare Tangled to Frozen," Jace told her icily. "Tangled is my life, Kasey. My job. I didn't think I'd have to leave this show behind so soon. What am I supposed to do, just be okay with the fact that I'm losing my job because of a stupid show about talking snowmen?"

"You don't have to be okay with it, you just need to stop blaming everyone for what's happening? Do you think I wanted the show's theatre to be the Lunt-Fontanne? Do you think I went to the producers and said 'Hey, you know what a great theatre to perform in would be?' I didn't. No one did. It was a choice that was made outside of my control, and there's nothing you can do to change it!" Kasey shot back. "Do you even hear yourself? I thought you, of all people, would understand. It's Broadway. There's a revolving door of shows all the time. No matter how good a show is, it could always go off."

"You don't get it, do you, Kasey? You don't understand what it's like to have a show close, and I wouldn't expect you to. Because you chose to leave Hamilton. You chose to leave your cast behind. I didn't. We're being forced, and with a show like Tangled, it doesn't deserve it. They should have knocked Hamilton off instead! Tangled is like a family to me. I wouldn't expect you to understand, because you don't even know what a real family is."

Kasey jerked back, like someone had slapped her. Jace realized what he had said too late.

"Kasey-"

She stood. "Forget it, Jace. You're right, maybe I don't know what real family is anymore. It certainly cleared up what I used to think about you."

~~~~~~~~~

Kasey walked as quickly as she could back to the loft. She was surprised she wasn't crying, but then again, she didn't cry often.

When she opened the door, Carleigh wasn't there. 

Kasey felt oddly hollow inside, like there was something missing. She couldn't believe what Jace had done, what he'd said. She never thought that he was capable of saying what he did.

She had always thought that they belonged together- like they were made for each other. It had all been too good to be true.

Kasey knew that no one in her life was ever who she thought they were. 

When she was little, she thought her parents were immortal. She had thought that her brother was this perfect person, that he would always be around, that he'd always protect her. Then they got into the accident, and Kasey had lost them all.

And then when she met her first foster family, she thought they'd accept her. At first they had, and then they started ignoring her. Forgetting about her at school. It was unintentional, but it hurt. Until eventually, they returned her to the foster care system. 

She'd met Paul and Wendy, and they'd seemed like the perfect couple. They loved her, they cared about her. They got her all the way through college, and Kasey had thought that maybe she'd found her family again. 

And then they'd died, too. 

And then she'd had Jace. He was kind, and gentle, funny, compassionate. They did so many things together. They'd seen Wicked, they'd gone on picnics. Jace had picked Kasey up from the shadows of her foster parent's deaths.

Now, Kasey didn't know what they were.

No one cared about her enough to stick around.

The only person Kasey knew she could always count on was Carleigh- but she knew that they couldn't stay loft buddies forever. She knew Carleigh was always a call away. She was the best person, the best friend, that Kasey had ever known. Carleigh had never let her down. And she was the only person Kasey thought she could trust anymore.

The only person, perhaps, who could even come close to making Kasey feel better. 

Her phone lit up with a text message from Jace. Kasey ignored it. 

What he had said hurt more than he could ever know. Even though he used to be the person she trusted the most, he wasn't anymore.