Five Years Outside Their Photos, So I Finally Walked Out Forever Chapter 01

Five Years Outside Their Photos, So I Finally Walked Out Forever Chapter 01

Ethan Hayes promised to spend Thanksgiving with me in Mesa Vista, watching the moon rise. Every year, he canceled on me for Brooke Ellis.

The first year, Brooke wanted to go camping, so Ethan canceled our tickets.

The second year, Brooke wanted to see a meteor shower. Ethan reassured me again. “Next Thanksgiving, I promise I’ll go with you.”

This year, I booked our hotel and flights to Mesa Vista well in advance.

The day before we were supposed to leave, Ethan backed out again.

“Brooke wants to watch the moon rise over the ocean. Jake managed to snag four tickets to Seabrook.”

Four tickets. There were five of us. So once again, I was the one left out.

I looked at him. “What about Mesa Vista? You promised me.”

Ethan kept his head down, replying to the group chat. His answer was dismissive.

“Can’t we just go next year?”

“Brooke hardly ever wants to see the moon. Don’t make such a big deal out of it.”

Next year again. I was sick of hearing it.

Half an hour later, I saw Brooke’s Instagram post.

It was a picture of the four of them. She and Ethan stood side by side in the middle, grinning.

The caption read: [Another Thanksgiving watching the moon, just the four of us.]

I stared at those words for a long time, then called to cancel the flights to Mesa Vista.

The customer service agent asked, “Both tickets?”

I paused. “No. Keep one.”

If he had someone to watch the moon with every year,

then starting this year,

it was time I saw what life looked like without Ethan Hayes.

…

I packed for Mesa Vista once before, three years earlier. I spent two whole months preparing for that trip.

Three days before we were supposed to leave, Brooke suddenly posted a picture of a campground in their private group chat, just the four of them.

[I don’t feel like going anywhere crowded this year.]

[All of a sudden, I want to see the stars.]

Ethan canceled both flights to Mesa Vista before I even found out.

That was the first time I fought with Ethan over his friends.

“You didn’t even ask me.”

Ethan was looking up camping tips for Brooke. He answered without looking up.

“Ask you what?”

“We can buy tickets again. Mesa Vista isn’t going anywhere.”

“But they all want to go camping. I can’t make everyone change their plans just for you.”

For a long time, I was too stunned to respond.

It was supposed to be our trip in the first place.

Somehow, I was the one expecting everyone else to change their plans for me.

I didn’t go camping.

But that night, Brooke video-called me.

“Claire, you’re really not coming? Ethan said you’re still mad.”

Before I could answer, she smiled and turned the camera around.

“Look what he made.”

Ethan crouched beside the fire, roasting a marshmallow for her.

When Brooke complained that it was a little burned, he threw it away and started over.

Only when it was toasted to a practically perfect golden brown did he hold it up to her mouth.

The other two egged them on.

“Since when did our golden boy learn to wait on people?”

“Brooke’s got Ethan wrapped around her finger for life.”

Ethan gave them a kick.

“She’s picky. What else is new?”

Brooke seemed to remember suddenly that I was still on the call.

“Don’t read into it, Claire.”

“The four of us have always been like this.”

“Ethan’s just used to taking care of me.”

Before I could speak, Ethan walked over and took the phone.

“They’re joking. Don’t give us that look again.”

My throat suddenly tightened with tears.

“Ethan, we were supposed to leave for Mesa Vista today.”

His smile faded.

“Here we go again. Didn’t I promise to take you next year?”

“Everyone’s having a good time. You really have to bring this up now?”

Then he ended the call.

After that, I made a point of going to their get-togethers so he wouldn’t think I disliked his friends.

That was how I became the regular photographer for the four of them.

“Claire, take a picture of us.”

“Same spots as always.”

Ethan stood in the middle, with Jake Miller and Ryan Cole on either side.

Brooke always stood right beside Ethan. I stood behind the camera.

One New Year’s Eve, I finally handed the camera to Jake.

“Could you take one of me and Ethan?”

“I don’t think we’ve had a picture of just us in a long time.”

Brooke suddenly squeezed between us.

She hooked one arm through Ethan’s and the other through mine.

“Why just the two of you?”

“Let’s all take one together.”

For the first time, I didn’t go along with her.

“I just want one with Ethan.”

Brooke’s smile froze for a second.

Then she let go.

“Fine. Go ahead.”

She stepped aside and looked down, fiddling with her phone.

The mood changed instantly. Jake and Ryan both went quiet.

Before I could make sense of the sudden shift, Ethan frowned.

“Brooke just wanted to be in a picture with us.”

“Did you really have to embarrass her in front of everyone?”

My eyes stung.

“I just wanted a picture with my boyfriend.”

“How is that embarrassing her?”

Ethan’s expression hardened.

“Claire Bennett, keep that ridiculous possessive streak of yours out of our friendship.”

Brooke tugged at him, her eyes red.

“Ethan, let it go. Don’t fight with Claire because of me.”

But Ethan pulled her back to her usual spot.

“You didn’t do anything wrong.”

That picture later became the cover photo on Ethan’s Facebook profile.

The camera suddenly vibrated in my hand.

I snapped back to the present. That same picture was still on the screen.

Ethan and I were together for five years.

His camera held hundreds of pictures of the four of them.

There were only seventeen pictures of us.

Brooke was in eleven of those, too.

I tapped Select All, and a prompt appeared.

[Delete 683 photos?]

I tapped Confirm.

The moon over Mesa Vista I never got to photograph three years earlier

finally had room on the camera now.