They Left Me Out of Their Group, So I’ll Leave Them Out of My Life Chapter 09

They Left Me Out of Their Group, So I’ll Leave Them Out of My Life Chapter 09

I remembered both incidents. 

The joke had been at women’s expense. All I’d said 

was, “That’s not really okay, is it?” 

And at karaoke, Nico had asked what I thought. I’d 

told him the truth. 

“So telling the truth meant I deserved to be shut 

out by everyone?” 

“That’s not what I mean…” 

She paused, then tried a different angle. 

“Kira, you can’t take such a hard line on 

everything.” 

“People go out to have fun. If you keep killing the 

vibe, what do you expect?” 

I stood up. 

“I came for my things. Please move.” 

She moved aside. 

I went into the bedroom and packed the rest of my 

books, a few clothes, and a storage bin into bags. 

When I came out, Lucia was still on the couch, 

looking annoyed. 

“Kira, you’re really not coming back?” 

“No.” 

“Have you really thought this through? Enzo won’t 

wait forever. The boss thinks very highly of him. 

He’s going places…” 

I carried my bags to the door. 

“I don’t need him to wait.” 

The door closed behind me. 

When I reached the entrance of the apartment 

complex, a car pulled up to the curb. 

The window rolled down. It was Enzo. 

“Get in. I’ll drive you.” 

“No.” 

“Kira.” 

He got out and walked over to me. “Can you not do 

this?” 

“I know I was wrong. I deleted the group.” 

I stopped. 

“You deleted it?” 

“Yeah. Last night.” 

“And?” 

He stared at me. “So I fixed it. What else do you 

want me to do?” 

“Enzo, you deleted the group. And then what?” 

“Nico still hates it when I tell the truth. Lucia still 

thinks I’m too serious.” 

“Elena would still cover for you. Marco would still 

pick you over me.” 

“Does deleting one group chat change any of 

that?” 

His mouth opened. No answer came. 

“You didn’t delete it because you finally 

understood it was wrong.” 

“You deleted it because I left, and you needed 

something to show me so I’d come back.” 

“I…” 

“You never thought they were being unfair to me. You thought I was the problem.” 

He fell silent. 

A long time later, he said quietly, “Kira, I honestly 

don’t know what else I’m supposed to do to make 

you happy.” 

I smiled. 

Even then, all I heard was: You’re impossible. 

“You don’t have to make me happy anymore.” 

I hailed a cab and got in. 

As it pulled away, I could still see him in the 

rearview mirror. 

He didn’t chase after me. He didn’t call out. 

He just stood there with both hands in his 

pockets. 

Like my leaving was nothing more than an 

inconvenience he hadn’t gotten used to yet. 

The first month after the breakup was calmer than 

I’d expected. 

My new place was small, but clean. 

When I came home from work, no one asked what time I’d be home. No one asked me to call building 

management for them. 

I worked at the flower shop on weekends. 

Sometimes Bella brought her daughter in. 

She was five and talked nonstop. 

She called me Kira and trailed after me, asking me 

to teach her how to fold paper roses. 

Little by little, my life started taking a new shape. 

Then came day forty–three. 

On my way home from work, I saw Nico at the subway station. 

He saw me too. He hesitated, then walked over. 

“Kira.” 

“Yeah.” 

“Been a while.” 

“Yeah.” 

He stood beside me, clearly with something to say 

and no idea how to say it. 

The train arrived. I stepped into the car. 

He followed me in. 

“Kira, Enzo’s been… not doing so great lately.” 

I held on to the overhead strap and didn’t look at 

him. 

“That’s not my problem anymore.”