Five Years Outside Their Photos, So I Finally Walked Out Forever Chapter 04

Five Years Outside Their Photos, So I Finally Walked Out Forever Chapter 04

I clung to Ethan’s sleeve.

“Please stay with me.”

“My French is terrible. I don’t even know where to get a replacement passport.”

Before he could answer, Brooke spoke up, her eyes red.

“You should stay, Ethan.”

“I was the one who handled her passport, after all.”

“I’ll go home with the guys.”

Then she turned toward security.

Two steps later, she swayed.

Ethan rushed over to steady her almost immediately.

“You still had a fever last night. How could I leave you to go home without me?”

Brooke bit her lip.

“But Claire will blame me.”

Jake frowned.

“Claire, Brooke already feels awful.”

“Stop making Ethan choose.”

Ryan was getting impatient, too.

“You just need a replacement passport. It’s not some huge emergency.”

“The four of us can’t all change our flights just for you.”

I looked at Ethan.

“So you’re leaving, too?”

He was quiet for a few seconds, then handed me his phone.

The screen showed the addresses of a nearby police station and the U.S. embassy.

“You’re an adult. Handling something like this on your own isn’t that hard.”

My throat tightened.

“Then why can’t Brooke go home on her own?”

Ethan’s expression turned cold.

“You really have to compare yourself to her right now?”

“It’s your passport. Keeping track of it was your responsibility.”

“Brooke was just trying to help, and now you’re blaming her?”

I slowly let go of his sleeve.

“Okay.”

That day, I went to the police station alone.

My phone was dead, so I couldn’t open the translation app. I used the little French I remembered and a lot of gestures to explain that my passport was missing.

Then I went to the embassy alone, too.

I stood in line, filled out forms, and gathered the supporting documents.

Through all of it, Ethan sent just one message.

[Let me know when it’s sorted out.]

After midnight, Brooke sent me a picture.

[Claire, I think your passport really is here with me.]

[I just found it. I’m so sorry.]

I stared at the screen for a long time. So I wasn’t the one who lost it.

They didn’t leave me there alone because I was careless, either.

I called Ethan. He picked up right away.

But the first thing he said was,

“Brooke’s been crying for half an hour. She didn’t do it on purpose.”

Tears spilled down my face.

“Ethan, I’ve been here by myself for more than twelve hours.”

“Because she took my passport with her.”

“And the four of you left me behind.”

He went quiet for a moment, then impatience crept into his voice.

“We found your passport. Isn’t that what matters?”

“Do you have to keep arguing over whose fault it was?”

“Brooke blames herself even more than you do.”

In the end, they used an international courier to send my passport back.

I got home three days after them.

As I walked out of the airport, I instinctively searched the crowd for a long time.

Nobody came to pick me up.

I found out later

that the four of them were having a “trip wrap-up dinner.”

Brooke posted another group picture. Everyone stood in their usual spots.

Jake commented:

[Five of us left, four came home. Nobody clicks like the original crew.]

Ryan replied underneath:

[Don’t mess with a winning lineup.]

Brooke replied with a facepalm emoji.

[Don’t be like that. Claire will read too much into it again if she sees this.]

Ethan liked the post.

The memory faded. I looked down at the passport in my hand and let out a little laugh.

I really didn’t need to worry about going to Mesa Vista alone.

Long before that, Ethan taught me

how to get home by myself after being left behind.

When I dragged my suitcase into the airport, I still had an hour before boarding.

That was when my phone started vibrating nonstop.