They Left Me Out of Their Group, So I’ll Leave Them Out of My Life Chapter 01
Enzo and I had been together for four years. I thought I was already part of his circle.
Until one day, he left his phone behind when he went to shower, and a group-chat notification lit up the screen.
The group was called “Good Times Without Kira.”
Eight people.
Enzo. His sister. His two childhood friends. My roommate. My best friend. Even my own little brother.
I stood there and watched the messages roll in.
His sister wrote, “Kira’s not coming to the backyard barbecue Saturday, right? Last time she was there, nobody could really let loose.”
My best friend replied, “Don’t worry. I told her I’ve got to be at the docks. She won’t suspect a thing.”
My brother sent a snickering emoji.
Enzo wrote, “Good. I’ll get the beer.”
I scrolled up through the chat.
The group had existed for two years and three months.
More than seven hundred messages.
Every good time they had depended on keeping me out.
On my birthday last year, they were discussing teams for a weekend game night.
When I asked Enzo why no one had answered me that day, he said, “Everyone’s been busy lately.”
So they had been busy having fun.
Busy having fun without me.
The phone screen went dark just as the shower shut off.
Enzo came out wrapped in a towel. He saw me standing in the living room and asked casually, “What are you looking at?”
“Nothing. Just something funny.”
He said, “Oh,” and took his phone back.
I turned, went into the bedroom, and started packing a suitcase.
From the living room, Enzo called, “There’s tiramisu in the fridge. I already cut you a piece. Want it?”
I didn’t answer.
He called again. “Kira?”
“No.”
A few seconds of silence.
He came to the bedroom door, leaned against the frame, and peered in.
“What are you packing for? Work trip tomorrow?”
“Yeah. Last-minute notice.”
He didn’t ask anything else. He turned and went back to the living room.
I heard him unlock his phone. He was probably reading the group chat.
All those good times without me.
I filled the suitcase with clothes.
Then I took off the necklace he’d given me and put it back in its box.
I wasn’t taking anything that wasn’t mine.
As I zipped the suitcase shut, my phone buzzed.
Elena texted me. “Kira, the boss has me at the docks Saturday, so I can’t go shopping with you. Rain check?”
She even added an apologetic emoji.
I stared at that cute little face for a long time.
Had she just finished getting their stories straight in that group before typing this?
I replied, “Okay.”
Early the next morning, I dragged my suitcase out the door.
Enzo was still asleep. I didn’t wake him.
As I was downstairs calling a cab, my phone rang.
It was my brother, Marco.
“Hey, Mom wants you home for dinner this weekend. You coming?”
“No. I’m traveling for work.”
“Again? Does your company ever let you breathe?”
His voice was light, the same as always.
But all I could see was the snickering emoji he’d sent in the group the night before.
I couldn’t understand how he could join everyone else in shutting out his own sister.
“Marco.”
“Yeah?”
“…Nothing.”
I hung up and got into the cab.
The driver asked where to. I gave him the name of a hotel.
I wasn’t going on a business trip. I just didn’t want to go back to that apartment yet.
The hotel was close to my office. I booked a room for a week.
I set my suitcase down, sat on the edge of the bed, and checked Enzo’s profile from my private account.
His latest post was from three days ago, a photo of him laughing with friends at a backyard barbecue.
Lucia was there. Nico and Matteo. Elena. Marco.
Everyone but me.
I remembered that day.
I’d asked Enzo what he was doing that night. He said he had to check on one of the family’s places in Queens.
I even texted, “Don’t work too hard.” He replied, “I won’t. Get some rest.”
So when he’d said, “Get some rest,” what he really meant was: I’m hanging out with everyone behind your back. Don’t bother me.