Abandoned at the Service Station, I Watched His Taillights Fade Chapter 05

Abandoned at the Service Station, I Watched His Taillights Fade Chapter 05

The sky was still dark. The crash of the waves felt louder in the pre-dawn silence.

I pulled back the attic curtain.

Outside, the horizon was a dull, grayish blue.

I didn’t turn on the light. By the faint glow of my phone, I shoved the last few pieces of clothing into my suitcase.

There wasn’t much to pack anyway.

My passport. My acceptance letter. My sketchbook. My laptop.

Those were the only things that carried the weight of my new life.

As for the couple outfits Ethan had bought me, the stuffed animals he’d given me, that brush set he used to buy me off with—I left it all behind, untouched in the corner of the room.

I set the spare key card on the desk.

I pulled my suitcase behind me and crept down the stairs, keeping my footsteps light.

When I passed the ocean-view rooms on the second floor, Ethan’s and Sophie’s doors were both tightly shut.

I didn’t pause. I walked straight out of the inn.

The early morning air was bitingly cold. But I had never felt more awake, more free.

I climbed into the rideshare I’d booked and watched the coastline shrink and blur outside the window.

Four years of chasing. It was finally, completely over.

At nine a.m., my phone started buzzing like crazy.

Ethan’s name flashed on the screen.

I answered and put the phone to my ear. “Natalie, where the hell did you go?”

His voice was hoarse from sleep, edged with his usual impatience.

“Everyone’s downstairs grabbing breakfast before we head back. I went to get you and the front desk said you checked out before sunrise.”

He paused, and a mocking edge crept into his tone.

“So this is what we’re doing now? Running away?”

I stared at the departure board in the airport terminal, my voice perfectly even.

“Ethan, I made myself perfectly clear last night.”

“Are you still throwing a fit?”

Ethan’s breathing got heavier. “All because I opened the wrong folder? I already told you I’d make it up to you.”

“Don’t bother.”

I cut him off. I didn’t want to hear any more of his condescending handouts.

“I don’t need your compensation. And I don’t need you.”

I hung up.

Half an hour later, my dad called.

His voice was thick with concern.

“Nat, Ethan just called me.”

“What did he say?”

“He asked if something happened at home, if you’d run off upset.”

My dad let out a cold snort.

“He had a real attitude. Told me to tell you to stop acting like a child. I told him where you go is your choice. And from now on, your life is none of his business.”

My eyes stung. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Oh, sweetheart. You’re about to board, right? Let me know when you land. And if you ever need money, you just say the word.”

After I hung up, I opened my chat app.

Sophie had sent over a dozen long voice messages. I didn’t listen to a single one. I just tapped on her profile.

Her latest post was a group photo from last night’s bonfire.

She and Ethan stood in the center, Ethan’s head tilted toward her, smiling.

I wasn’t even a sliver of a shoulder in the frame.

I long-pressed her profile picture and hit delete.

Then I blocked Ethan’s number.

I popped out my SIM card and tossed it in the trash.

The boarding announcement crackled over the speakers.

I threw my phone into my bag, grabbed my suitcase, and walked toward the gate.