They Left Me Out of Their Group, So I’ll Leave Them Out of My Life Chapter 02
I set my phone facedown on the bed and lay back.
Exhaustion washed over me. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples.
A little later, Enzo called.
“You there? What city are you in?”
“I’m here.”
“Be careful. Don’t go out alone tonight.”
“I know.”
“Okay. I’ll let you go. I’m busy today too.”
Busy doing what? Planning the next outing without me?
The call ended.
I stayed at the hotel for three days. No one realized I hadn’t gone anywhere for work.
On the fourth day, Elena asked me out for coffee.
She said she’d finished the job the boss had sent her to do and wanted to make up for bailing on me last time.
I agreed.
At the cafe, she stirred her latte and smiled. “Back from your trip? Tired?”
“Not really.”
“Did Enzo call you?”
“That guy is hopeless. I bet he can barely feed himself when you’re not around.”
I looked into her eyes, trying to find even a trace of guilt.
Nothing.
She made it look effortless, like nothing had happened.
“Elena, how late did you work Saturday?”
She blinked. “Huh? A little after nine, I think. I was exhausted.”
“Sounds rough.”
“Tell me about it.”
She sighed. “I’ll make it up to you next time. Promise.”
I took a sip of coffee. Bitter.
The bitter Americano went down easier than her lies.
On my way back to the hotel, Enzo texted, “Coming home tomorrow? One of the pipes is leaking. Can you call someone to fix it?”
Four years.
When he needed me, I was his roommate, his maid, his handyman.
When he didn’t, I was the name they’d built a group chat around excluding.
I replied, “Call building management.”
He answered instantly. “They’re useless. Can you call and stay on them?”
The whole thing suddenly felt absurd.
Had it ever crossed his mind to wonder why I wasn’t home?
Or did he simply not care?
“Call them yourself.”
A long time later, he replied, “Fine.”
Not even a question mark.
On the fifth day, I checked out of the hotel and went back to the apartment.
Not because I’d forgiven him. I needed to get more of my things.
When I opened the door, Enzo was gaming on the couch. He glanced up at me.
“You’re back? Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve picked you up.”
“Didn’t need you to. I took a cab.”
He said, “Oh,” and looked back at the screen.
Nico’s voice came loudly through his headset. “Enzo, focus. We’re trying to rank up here.”
I dragged my suitcase into the bedroom. Passport. Diploma. Contracts. Bank cards.
The things that were truly mine didn’t amount to much.
Halfway through packing, my phone rang.
It was Enzo’s sister, Lucia.
When I answered, she sounded warmer than usual. “Kira, are you coming to family dinner this weekend? Mom says she hasn’t seen you in forever.”
“When did you plan it?”
“Yesterday. We forgot to tell you.”
Forgot?
Or had they talked it over in the group first and only invited me once they decided it was safe?
“I’ll check my schedule.”
“Okay. Let me know.”
“And one more thing…”
She lowered her voice. “Enzo’s under a lot of pressure lately. Cut him some slack. Don’t keep getting upset with him.”
I froze. “When have I been getting upset with him?”
“He said you’ve barely been talking to him, and you took off on a work trip without really checking in. He’s been in a bad mood.”
“Kira, you’ve been together four years. Sometimes you have to be the one to reach out. Guys need reassurance too.”
So in his version of things, I was the one ignoring him.
“Got it, Lucia.”
After I hung up, I stood in the middle of the bedroom and suddenly didn’t want to leave.
Not because I wanted to stay.
Because slipping away quietly would let them off far too easy.