Five Years Outside Their Photos, So I Finally Walked Out Forever Chapter 07

Five Years Outside Their Photos, So I Finally Walked Out Forever Chapter 07

On my third day in Mesa Vista, I went to Moonrise Dunes alone.

Once it was completely dark, I sat on a dune and watched the moon slowly rise.

Three years earlier, I pictured that moment over and over. Ethan was supposed to be sitting

beside me.

But when I finally saw the moon, I realized

watching it alone didn’t feel like much of a loss after all

Someone suddenly called my name from behind. I turned.

Ethan stood at the bottom of the dune, looking worn out from the trip.

He hurried toward me as soon as he saw me.

“Why did you block me?”

I walked around him, but he followed.

“I flew in yesterday and spent all night looking for you.”

“Claire, do you really have to hide from me?”

I stopped.

“I’m not hiding.”

“And we broke up.”

Ethan’s face stiffened. Then he quickly pulled a bag from behind his back.

“Didn’t you always want to try the lamb pot pie at that place in Mesa Vista? I waited in line for

two hours.”

I glanced down at it.

“I don’t eat lamb.”

His hand froze in midair.

“But you used to…”

“Brooke likes it.”

Silence settled between us. The color slowly drained from Ethan’s face.

Seemingly unwilling to give up, he pulled out his phone at once.

“Then let’s see the sunrise tomorrow.”

“I booked the ride and the tickets already.”

“Didn’t you always say you wanted to see a sunrise in the desert?”

I looked up at him.

“That was Brooke, too.”

“On her birthday two years ago, she said in the group chat that she wanted to see a desert

sunrise.”

“I always wanted to see the moon.”

Ethan fell completely silent.

I looked at him. Suddenly, the whole thing seemed ridiculous.

He followed me across thousands of miles, bought food I didn’t like, and booked tickets for a

sight I never wanted to see.

Then he stood in front of me and said he came to make it up to me.

Ethan grew paler and paler.

“Claire, I know I neglected you.”

“But I can change.”

“When I get home, I’ll make Brooke take all her stuff out.”

“I’ll change the door code, too. She won’t be able to let herself in anymore.”

“I won’t go on any more trips with the four of us,”

“If you don’t want me talking to Brooke one-on-one, I won’t.”

“And Jake and Ryan, if they ever say that stuff again, I’ll tell them to shut up.”

I used to dream of hearing those words.

But when I finally heard them, I felt nothing.

I looked at Ethan.

“So now you think I was asking for something reasonable?”

“But when I asked before,”

“you told me I was petty, that I kept score, that I couldn’t stand your friends.”

“You knew what you needed to do all along. You just didn’t think I was worth the effort.”

For the first time, his eyes reddened.

“No.”

“Claire, that’s not it.”

“I just…”

He couldn’t finish. Even he couldn’t find a better explanation.

I finished for him.

“You just thought I’d never leave.”

Ethan reached for me. I stepped back.

His hand froze in midair.

“Claire, give me one more chance.”

“From now on, I’ll give you everything you wanted before.”

I shook my head.

“But I don’t want it anymore.”

Someone cheered in the distance. The moon was fully up.

The moon I wanted so desperately to see with him three years earlier hung above us.

Then Ethan asked, his eyes red,

“What am I supposed to do now?”

I looked into the distance and said softly,

“That’s your problem now.”

Just like before.

Every time he left me behind,

that was what he told me, too.