They Left Me Out of Their Group, So I’ll Leave Them Out of My Life Chapter 05
He was quiet for two seconds, then laughed. “We’ve always been close. He’s basically my brother-in-law. And someday I want in with their crew.”
Brother-in-law.
We weren’t even married, and Marco was already calling him that.
“Fine. I’ll try to make it.”
After we hung up, I dropped my forehead onto my folded arms and closed my eyes for a while.
Nineteen-year-old Marco had spent two years playing along in that group while everyone lied to me.
He was the brother I’d practically raised.
He’d been twelve when our parents divorced, and he’d lived with me for three full years.
I’d worked two jobs to support him through high school, taken him to amusement parks in the summer, bought him a new winter coat every year.
When had he started thinking I was someone who needed to be avoided?
Had it started with Enzo? Or had they all reinforced it in each other?
Or had it always been like this, and I just hadn’t known?
Friday night was Marco’s birthday.
I went anyway.
It was time to say goodbye to all of them.
I wanted to see how much fun the eight of them really had together.
The living room was already full when I arrived.
Lucia was in the kitchen helping plate dinner.
Nico and Matteo were gaming on the couch.
Elena sat at the dining table peeling a clementine.
Marco saw me and rushed over. “Kira! You came!”
He was grinning like nothing had happened.
Maybe to him, nothing had.
Enzo leaned out from the kitchen. “You’re here. Sit down. Food’s almost ready.”
I sat.
Elena held out a clementine segment. “Try this. It’s really sweet.”
I took it.
The table was loud with laughter. Everyone was having a great time.
I sat among them like an old piece of furniture forgotten in a corner.
I was there. No one noticed. No one seemed to mind.
During dinner, Nico said, “My birthday’s next month. What are we doing?”
Lucia answered, “That bar we went to last year was good. Same place?”
Matteo nodded. “Works for me. We should book early. Weekends fill up.”
Elena looked at me and smiled. “What about you, Kira? You free next month?”
Everyone looked at me.
And suddenly, I understood.
They didn’t always hide things from me.
Sometimes they invited me just to say they had.
Because what made them happy wasn’t whether I came.
It was when I took the hint and said, “I can’t make it.”
“We’ll see.”
“Okay. We’ll see when it gets closer.”
Elena smiled, almost relieved.
Nico and Matteo traded a look. A smile flickered at the corners of their mouths and vanished.
I saw all of it.
After dinner, we cut the cake and Marco made a wish.
I stood behind everyone and watched him close his eyes, completely serious about his wish.
When he opened them, the first person he looked at wasn’t me. It was Enzo.
“Enzo, thanks.”
Enzo patted his shoulder. “Come on. You’re family.”
Family.
Coming from him, the word cut like a knife.
To him, family meant Marco. Lucia. Nico and Matteo. Elena.
Everyone but me.
By the time everyone left, it was after midnight.
Elena said, “It’s late. I’m getting a cab.”
Marco was leaving too, and Nico said he’d drop him off since it was on his way.
Lucia was the last to leave. Before she went, she looked back at Enzo. “Get some rest. Clean up tomorrow.”
The door closed, and the apartment went quiet.
I started clearing trash from the table.
Enzo came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me.
“Thanks for tonight.”
I kept cleaning.
“Enzo.”
“Yeah?”
“Let me see your phone.”
His arms stiffened for a split second.
“Why?”
“No reason. I want to see it.”
He let go and gave a short laugh. “Kira, why are you so suspicious lately?”
“How many times have I told you? There are family things on my phone. You can’t just…”
I looked him straight in the eye. “When do I get to see the group chat about life without me?”