My Boyfriend Carved Jack-o’-Lanterns For All Five. Except Me Chapter 07

My Boyfriend Carved Jack-o’-Lanterns For All Five. Except Me Chapter 07

The day of the music festival, the four of them still went.

They stood at the entrance. Four tickets in hand.

No one spoke.

Last year, after failing to get tickets, I’d forwarded the band’s tour announcement to Caleb.

[Next year. We’re definitely going.]

He replied with a “sure.”

Later, when Daisy got four tickets, he naturally assumed I didn’t like crowds.

Not until just before the show did he search “music festival” in our chat.

And see the dozens of messages I’d sent.

Dates. Ticket strategies. Transit routes.

Even which songs were best live. I’d listed them carefully.

Most of those messages, he’d only replied with emojis.

A few. No reply at all.

Caleb stood in the crowd. Suddenly turned.

“Did any of you ever say Lyra doesn’t like music festivals?”

No answer.

Because no one had.

They just needed someone to leave out. And casually decided for me.

The show started. Cheers erupted.

The band played my favorite song.

Caleb stared at the fourth ticket.

It was never meant for me.

But in that moment, everyone remembered me.

On the way back, Leo found an old voice message.

From my birthday last year.

I’d asked him what color gown the graduation plushie should wear.

He said he didn’t know. Told me not to waste money on useless things.

A month later, Daisy said others had one.

She wanted one too.

He remembered her major. Her gown color. Her name.

Julian found a chat from four years ago.

I’d asked:

[Let’s make bookmarks at graduation. One for each of the five of us.]

He’d agreed.

Later, when he actually ordered them, Daisy was sitting next to him.

He only remembered the four in front of him.

They finally understood.

It wasn’t that I never liked things.

It was that after being overlooked too many times, I stopped asking.

Daisy’s eyes reddened.

“Did Caleb leave because of me?”

Leo instinctively wanted to comfort her.

The words stopped at his lips.

Before, whenever she cried, they’d immediately prove she wasn’t at fault.

My hurt always came second to her tears.

“It’s not just you.”

Leo’s voice was hoarse.

“We all failed.”

That night, Caleb took the unused ticket. Went to the apartment I’d rented.

Empty.

No gardenias on the balcony.

No matching cups in the kitchen.

He was supposed to move in here with me.

But to look after Daisy, he’d postponed our future. Easily.

Because he was sure I’d wait.

He sat on the floor. Sent me a long voice message.

This time, no blame. No urging.

He said:

“Lyra. I want to see you.”

“There’s something I need to say. In person.”

The next day, the front desk called.

Someone had come from California. Waiting downstairs for three hours.

I walked out of the lobby.

Caleb stood in the rain.

Five late gifts in his arms.