Deboned Fish for Her, Left No Room for Me Chapter 01

Deboned Fish for Her, Left No Room for Me Chapter 01

As graduation approached, my boyfriend and best friend both decided to move to Hartwick. By the time I found out, they had already accepted offers from Helion Aeronautics.

Excited, I immediately pulled up LinkedIn.

“I want to go to Hartwick too!”

The two people who had been chatting nonstop went quiet.

A beat later, I looked up.

My best friend, Cecily Prentis, looked uncomfortable.

“Marlow, Hartwick is expensive. With your degree… it might be hard for you to find a good job there.”

My boyfriend, Keaton Stroud, did not even look up.

He carefully peeled a shrimp for Cecily, set it on her plate, then finally spoke in that slow, careless voice of his.

“Cissy’s right. Go back to Greyford and find something steady. Just find something steady back in Greyford. You’d be more comfortable there.”

Before I could answer, they went right back to talking about advanced aircraft systems I could not understand.

Then about the exciting life waiting for them in Hartwick.

I looked at the pile of shrimp shells abandoned on the table.

And finally understood.

I was the problem they both wanted out of the way.

…

Keaton did not notice my silence.

He was too busy planning his future with Cecily.

“Once we get to Hartwick, we can rent a two-bedroom apartment.”

“And get that orange tabby you’ve always wanted.”

“Give it two years. Once we both get promoted, we’ll go see the northern lights in Alaska like you keep talking about.”

My fingers tightened around my fork until my knuckles turned white.

I finally could not hold it in anymore.

“What about me? Keaton Stroud, where am I in your future?”

He paused.

Then he smiled and patted my head like I was some kid who did not know better.

“Hartwick moves too fast. You’re better off staying home.”

He could not bear the thought of Cecily suffering.

But he had no problem leaving me trapped in a small town forever, ordinary and going nowhere.

The air conditioning above us kept blasting cold air until my hands and feet felt numb.

Cecily was wrapped in Keaton’s oversized jacket, letting him roll up the sleeves for her.

A server came over with two complimentary desserts and interrupted them.

“Hi, we’re offering complimentary dessert for couples tonight. These are on the house.”

The desserts were placed in front of Cecily and Keaton.

Cecily glanced at me awkwardly, her face turning red, then pushed one of the plates toward me.

“Oh, sorry. You got the wrong pair. Keaton and Marlow are the couple.”

The server apologized to me immediately.

I did not blame him.

Anyone would have thought they were the perfect match.

Every time the three of us went out together, someone would whisper behind us.

“Damn. Those two look like movie stars.”

And me?

I had always been plain.

Next to them, I looked even smaller. Duller. Easier to overlook.

No one had ever thought Keaton and I looked right together.

At one point, I had hated my face so much I almost booked a cosmetic consultation.

It was Keaton who kissed my nose, my eyes, every place I felt insecure, over and over again, and told me I was beautiful exactly as I was.

It was Cecily who stood in front of me and tore into anyone who made me feel small.

For years, I thought they were my shelter.

I never imagined shelters could close their doors.

Cecily pushed one of the plates toward me. Keaton slid it the rest of the way across the table.

“I asked them to leave the nuts off yours. Eat.”

I knew I should not still crave his warmth.

But habits did not break in a single second.

I thanked him softly.

Then I looked up and saw him sharing the other dessert with Cecily.

My spine went stiff.

The last bit of dignity I had been holding onto fell apart.

Tears fell silently onto my plate.

Through my blurred vision, Keaton lifted his eyes.

There was only calm in them.

“You hate sharing food. What was I supposed to do, leave Cecily sitting there with nothing while you had a plate to yourself?”

Cecily panicked and grabbed napkins to wipe my tears.

“Marlow, don’t cry. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have eaten it.”

The more she comforted me, the worse I felt.

People around us started staring.

Keaton pulled Cecily behind him, shielding her with practiced ease.

When he looked at me, there was faint blame in his eyes.

“Marlowe Quenby. Enough with the tears.”

“Once you’re out in the real world, no one is going to put up with your temper the way we do.”

So my pain, my hurt, my humiliation—

to him, it was just another tantrum.

I could not stay there anymore.

I wiped my face messily and left.

The city blurred past the car window.

My phone chimed.

What I got was not an apology from Keaton.

It was a message from a company in Hartwick.

[Hi Marlowe, we were impressed by your résumé. Do you have time to chat?]

A tear hit my screen.

After a long moment, I slowly typed back.

[Thank you, but I’m no longer planning to move to Hartwick.]