Four People. Three Clay Figures. I Stopped Being The One Left Out Chapter 08

Four People. Three Clay Figures. I Stopped Being The One Left Out Chapter 08

Damon and adrian didn’t leave california right away.

One waited outside my office building every day.

The other asked around for my address.

I sent them each an email.

[if you keep interfering with my work, i’ll call the police.]

The next day, the street outside was quiet.

I deleted the email. Went back to my new project.

The california branch’s product plan had been shelved for half a year.

I took the team through the data from scratch. Six revisions.

A month later, it passed.

At the celebration, my manager handed me a bonus envelope.

“We almost thought you weren’t coming.”

“I almost didn’t.”

“And now?”

I looked at the city lights outside the window. Smiled.

“Glad i came.”

My new life was busier than i’d imagined.

I moved into an apartment near the office.

I got a mint plant. Signed up for diving lessons-something i’d wanted to learn for years.

On weekends without overtime, i took the subway to galleries.

No waiting for anyone to be free.

No rearranging my schedule for someone else’s.

Back home, damon found out how much my absence had left behind.

His clothes stopped getting sent to the cleaners.

His stomach medicine ran out and no one restocked it.

His father’s follow-up appointment dates. I’d been the one keeping track.

Even the yearly gifts for his family. I’d always handled them.

His mother called me.

No answer. So she asked him.

“Did you and blair fight?”

Long silence.

“We broke up.”

His mother froze.

“Why?”

He couldn’t answer.

No affair. No explosive fight.

He’d just chosen someone else. Over and over.

Until i stopped giving him the choice.

Adrian wasn’t doing much better.

At a gathering of mutual friends, everyone asked why i wasn’t there.

He said, offhand, that i was throwing a fit.

The moment it left his mouth, a friend frowned.

“She moved to california. What fit?”

“Besides, wasn’t she always the one who accommodated you guys?”

Adrian held his glass. Couldn’t say a word.

Right.

Because i’d accommodated them too much, they’d treated my patience as guaranteed.

Vivian still tried to reach them.

Posted figure photos in the group. Asked when they’d meet again.

Damon didn’t reply.

Adrian asked her directly.

[last year’s trip. Who suggested not telling blair?]

Vivian took a long time to answer.

[i just didn’t want her to be upset.]

[and you both agreed.]

Adrian stared at that last line. Laughed.

She was right.

They couldn’t pin it all on her.

They’d enjoyed being needed. Enjoyed vivian’s closeness.

They thought i’d never leave. So they kept sacrificing me.

Damon went back to the old town.

He found the pottery shop. Asked to make a fourth figure.

The owner asked.

“What name?”

He held the carving knife. After a long time, carved two words. Blair.

But when the figure came out of the kiln, four together didn’t look right.

The other three stood shoulder to shoulder.

The new one stood far away. Different glaze entirely.

The owner glanced at it.

“Not from the same kiln. Of course it’s different.”

Damon lowered his head.

Some spots, once empty.

Even if you fill them later, it’s not the same one.

Winter. The project i was in charge of went live.

First-month numbers beat projections.

The company decided to promote me early.

Word got back to my old department. Congratulations came flooding in.

Damon got a new number too.

[congratulations.]

[i won’t bother you. Just want to return something.]

He sent the fourth figure.

In the box, a card.

[i’m sorry. I was too late.]