They Left Me Out of Their Group, So I’ll Leave Them Out of My Life Chapter 08

They Left Me Out of Their Group, So I’ll Leave Them Out of My Life Chapter 08

I spent the day trimming stems and wrapping bouquets, my hands damp with water and soil. 

That afternoon, my phone buzzed. 

It was Enzo. “Kira, can we meet?” 

I looked at it and didn’t reply. 

He sent another. “I want to explain in person.” 

Half an hour later, a third came through. “If you 

don’t answer, I’ll take that as a yes. Tomorrow at 

three. Our old place.” 

Our old place. 

The cafe where we’d had our first date. 

How ironic. 

I didn’t go. 

At three the next afternoon, I was tying a ribbon around a bouquet of white lisianthus at the flower shop. 

My phone sat on the counter, buzzing over and 

over. 

Enzo called four times. I ignored every one. 

Finally, he sent a long message. 

“Kira, what do you want from me?” 

“You said we were done. I didn’t stop you. You wanted to move out, and I let you.” 

“I gave you time to cool off. Don’t I at least get to say my piece?” 

“Don’t you think you’re being a little immature?” 

I turned my phone facedown and kept wrapping 

flowers. 

Bella, the owner, was in her forties, divorced, and 

raising her daughter on her own. 

She took one look at my face and didn’t ask 

questions. 

She poured me a cup of hot water and set it 

beside me. 

“Finish trimming those, then go take five in the back. Don’t push yourself.” 

That night, I lay in bed in my new place and 

thought for a long time. 

Finally, I picked up my phone and texted Enzo 

back. 

“There’s nothing to say. I’ll come get the rest of my 

things next week. You can be there or not.” 

He answered instantly. “Kira, you’re really going to 

be this cold? Four years and you can just walk 

away?” 

I typed a line, then deleted it. 

In the end, I sent one word. “Yes.” 

I took Wednesday afternoon off to pick up my 

things. 

I timed it for when he should’ve been at work. 

But when I opened the door, Lucia was sitting on 

the living room couch. 

She stood when she saw me, a faintly patronizing 

smile on her face. 

“Kira. You’re here.” 

“Lucia, what are you doing here?” 

“Enzo said you were coming today. He thought 

you’d have too much to carry, so I came to help.” 

I looked around. 

Fruit and snacks sat on the coffee table, obviously 

laid out on purpose. 

She wasn’t there to help. 

She was there to corner me. 

“I don’t need help. I don’t have much left.” 

“Sit down for a minute. Have some tea.” 

She tried to steer me toward the couch. “What is 

going on with you two? Why turn this into such a 

huge thing?” 

“It’s not a fight. We broke up.” 

“Come on. Every couple fights.” 

“You take everything to heart.” 

“Enzo’s bad with words, but he does care about 

you.” 

I looked at her, and the whole scene suddenly felt 

absurd. 

She was in the group. 

She was the one who’d said nobody could let loose when I was around. 

And now here she was, playing the concerned 

older sister and trying to talk me back into the 

relationship. 

“Lucia, who made that group chat?” 

Her smile froze for a second. 

“…What group chat?” 

“Good Times Without Kira.” 

“Oh, that.” She gave a dismissive wave. “It was a 

joke. Don’t take the name so seriously.” 

“The name was a joke. Was lying to me every time 

you got together for two years a joke too?” 

Her smile finally fell. She sighed, taking on that patient, reasonable tone. 

“Kira, I’m going to be honest with you.” 

“It’s not that we wanted to lie. It’s just… 

sometimes you’re kind of hard to relax around.” 

“How?” 

“You take things too seriously.” 

“That time someone told a joke, you had to point 

out what was wrong with it. After that, nobody 

knew what to say.” 

“And that time at karaoke, you told Nico he was 

off–key. He was embarrassed in front of everyone.”