Five People Traveled With Four Seats, Then They Panicked When I Left Chapter 04

Five People Traveled With Four Seats, Then They Panicked When I Left Chapter 04

When I reached the parking lot that morning, I spotted the SUV right away.

All four suitcases were already loaded inside.

I said nothing.

When Felix saw me, he held out his phone.

“Eleven o’clock shuttle. Three hours.”

“I already bought you a ticket.”

I didn’t take it.

Pearl got out of the passenger seat right away.

“I’ll go today. Rae’s been stuck on buses alone the last two days.”

She barely finished before Sawyer and Alden frowned.

“Your stomach just got better.”

“It’s all winding roads. You’ll get carsick again.”

Felix pulled her back too.

“I don’t want you on the bus.”

I just stood there, thinking of that six-hour ticket from two days ago.

Felix saw I still wasn’t taking it and pushed. “Take it.”

I looked at him.

“I don’t want to take the bus today.”

They all went quiet.

Sawyer asked, “Then what are we supposed to do?”

“We can’t exactly send Pearl.”

“We could wait for the car.”

“And do what about today?”

“We could rent another car.”

Alden frowned. “It’s three hours. Does it have to be a whole thing?”

Felix’s face fell. “Rae, don’t start.”

I looked at him.

I used to jump to explain myself when he said that.

I wasn’t throwing a fit. I was tired. It hurt too.

The words were right there, but this time I didn’t want to say any of it.

I handed his phone back.

“Just go.”

Pearl started to get out again.

“What about you?”

I pulled my suitcase upright.

“I’ll figure it out.”

Sawyer laughed. “I told you she’d handle it.”

Alden waved at me.

“See you tonight.”

Felix stared at me for a moment.

“I’ll still send the ticket to your phone.”

“Call me when you get there.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

After they drove off, I stood there watching it for a long time.

My sun hat was sticking out of the trunk.

I didn’t call after them.

I canceled every remaining reservation and attraction I’d booked for the trip.

Then I opened yesterday’s message from the company.

[Hi, is the job still open?]

They replied right away: [It is.]

I waited a few seconds.

[Then I’ll take it.]

I sent it and started packing.

I didn’t ask about my hat. Or the jacket I’d left in the car.

By eleven that night, I was dragging my suitcase back to campus.

My roommate stared at me in surprise.

“I thought you were staying for a few more days.”

“I came back early.”

“Did you and Felix have a fight?”

I shook my head. “No.”

We really didn’t.

Felix’s earbuds, charger, and two shirts were still sitting on the desk.

I found a cardboard box and packed them up one by one.

The movie tickets and Polaroids I could never bring myself to throw away were still buried in my drawer.

I pulled them out and looked at them for a moment. Then threw them in.

It wasn’t even full yet.

At midnight, someone finally sent a message to the group chat.

[Rae make it back yet?]

Sawyer: [She’s probably still mad.]

Pearl: [Should we call her?]

A few minutes later, Felix replied: [Leave her alone. She’ll cool off.]

I stared at the message.

For the first time, I didn’t feel hurt.

Because he was right.

I was taking time to myself. Just not to cool off and come back.

I was learning how to move on.

I wasn’t going back.

The next morning, I finished my last graduation paperwork.

The cab was pulling out of campus when Felix finally texted.

[What do you want for dinner?]

[I know yesterday sucked. I’ll take you somewhere nice.]

Still the same.

Still thought one good meal and a few nice words would make me fall back in line.

The boarding announcement came on, and Felix called.

I didn’t answer.

Before my screen went dark, I saw them still planning the next stop in the group chat.

They were still living in that five-person senior trip.

But the girl who always chased after them was already wheeling her suitcase through the gate.

This time, I wanted to see what was out there for me.