He Left Me on the Launched Drop Tower for His Bestie’s Laugh Chapter 05

He Left Me on the Launched Drop Tower for His Bestie’s Laugh Chapter 05

Ethan grabbed his phone and dialed my number.

No answer.

He tried again.

Still nothing.

He scrolled through his contacts.

A coworker said I never showed up, no-call no-show.

Rory’s phone was off too.

That line from the other night flashed in his head, “Forget it. Just take her.”

He snatched his jacket. “Forget this. I’m going to her place.”

Blaire called after him, “What about all this stuff—”

“Leave it!”

My mom frowned. “That girl’s been nothing but trouble since the day she was born. Just go. I’ll

handle things here.”

Ethan drove to my apartment building.

The security guard said he’d seen me leaving with a suitcase that morning, even said goodbye.

Ethan’s heart sank. He asked where I went, but the guard shook his head.

He went upstairs and knocked for ages. No answer.

As he came down, he ran into my mom, who had rushed over in a cab, her face livid. “She’s still not answering? That brat actually ran off?”

The two of them checked my usual bookstore, the park, the subway station. Nothing.

Blaire drove over too. The three of them met up at two p.m., the sun scorching, my mom’s makeup half melted.

They went into the living room.

Called my name.

No answer.

Under a water glass on the table, they found an envelope.

Ethan’s hands trembled.

My mom snatched it, and the three of them huddled together to read.

The letter read: [Mom, Ethan, Blaire-I’m done with you pretending to love me while you tear me down. Without someone like me dragging you down, you’ll all be happier. I mean that.]

At the bottom was a smaller line.

After reading, my mom’s face went from livid to pale, then to a twisted red.

“Has she lost her damn mind?! Who the hell does she think she is, talking to me like that?”

“What is this supposed to mean? I gave her everything for years, and she just takes off? Ungrateful little brat! Just like her father!”

She was breathing hard, grabbed her phone, opened the family chat, held down the voice button

and screamed.

“Willa Hart, you think you’re grown now?! Get your ass back here!”

“If you leave, don’t ever call me your mother again! I’m telling you, don’t you dare come back! I don’t have a daughter like you! Go die for all I care!”

The message sent, but no reply. She hurled her phone onto the couch. Blaire rushed over, hand on her back. “Mrs. Hart, breathe.”

Ethan stood there in silence, staring at the crumpled letter. His heart felt hollow.

He couldn’t say a word.

The room stayed quiet for a long time.

My mom suddenly stood up, smoothed her hair, and her tone went ice cold.

“She’s not coming back? Fine.”

“The venue deposit was two grand. The food’s already ordered. Every relative we have is sitting at that hotel right now, waiting. None of this is refundable.”

“That girl can’t get her act together, but I am not standing in front of everyone looking like a fool.”

She looked at Blaire, then at Ethan.

“Blaire, you step in. You’ve always had your head on straight, and people actually like you. You

and Ethan actually fit together.”

“The engagement party moves forward tonight-and you’re the one standing next to him.”

Blaire froze.

Her face flushed, then she quickly tamped it down. “… That’s not right. Ethan, he…”

Ethan said nothing the whole time.

My mom waved a hand.

“What’s not right about it? In what way is Willa better than Blaire? Ethan, if you’re not on board, you figure out how to handle this mess tonight.”

Ethan stood there, hands in his pockets, crushing the torn scraps of the letter.

That line from the letter kept echoing in his head.

He remembered Willa being lifted alone into the sky on the Drop Tower while he steadied Blaire’s phone to snap her terrified face.

He remembered her falling and splitting her forehead in the escape room, and him chasing after her only to say, “Blaire was just trying to help.”

/ He’d never denied it.

Blaire walked up to him, looking up, her eyes reddening.

“Ethan, I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I’ve always regretted the way I handled things back

then.”

“I know you regret it too… Is there still a chance for us?”