My Boyfriend Carved Jack-o’-Lanterns For All Five. Except Me Chapter 09

My Boyfriend Carved Jack-o’-Lanterns For All Five. Except Me Chapter 09

I looked up.

“Is it me abandoning the family? Or was there never a place for me in it?”

Leo had nothing to say.

Julian pushed up his glasses. Eyes tired.

“We overlooked you. In the past.”

“We won’t. From now on.”

“I don’t owe you my future. To prove that sentence.”

The room went quiet.

Daisy suddenly cried.

“Caleb. I’m sorry.”

“I really didn’t know you’d be this hurt.”

She sobbed.

When she first came to our family, she was scared of being sent away.

So she wanted more attention.

Later, being favored became habit.

She didn’t realize those things originally belonged to me.

“I didn’t mean to take from you.”

She reached for my hand.

“Come back. I can give everything back.”

I moved away from her hand.

“You can’t give it back.”

“When Leo prepared gifts for you, you knew I had none.”

“When Julian only made four bookmarks, you knew.”

“When Caleb lived on your floor, you still knew.”

Her crying stopped. Just for a second.

I finally said what everyone had avoided.

“You didn’t not know.”

“You just chose to accept. Every time.”

Daisy’s face went pale.

Leo wanted to speak for her. Met my eyes. Closed his mouth.

This time, he didn’t ask me to be understanding.

But that late silence changed nothing.

I stood. Pushed my chair back.

“No more late gifts. No more specially saved fifth seat.”

“I won’t come back to play the Lyra in your memories.”

Julian’s eyes reddened.

“Can we still be friends?”

I thought of all those years.

Standing behind the camera. Recording their so-called friendship.

“No.”

Two words. I was calmer than I’d expected.

I walked out.

Leo called after me.

This time, no command to stop. No scolding for being difficult.

He just stood there. Voice hoarse.

“Lyra. I’m sorry.”

My steps paused. One second.

I didn’t turn.

Apologies can be heard.

But not every apology has to be forgiven.

A year later, Halloween.

Leo booked that restaurant again.

This time, a five-person set. In advance.

Five jack-o’-lanterns.

The one on the far edge, carved with my name.

At seven, the four of them arrived.

The fifth chair stayed empty.

No one suggested moving it.

Over the year, they’d sent holiday wishes. Mailed gifts.

I didn’t accept any.

Eventually, they stopped asking when I’d come home.

Caleb put the couple bracelet in a box. Never wore it again.

He went to two music festivals.

Each time, bought an extra ticket.

Never found anyone willing to listen to that band with him.

Julian stopped taking photos.

Because every time he raised a camera, he remembered the one who stood behind it.

Never kept in the frame.

Leo learned to remember everyone’s birthday.

But on mine, the message he typed always stayed in the input box.

Daisy moved out too.

She started handling her own problems.

No longer waiting for others.

The food cooled.

Leo glanced at the empty chair. Finally spoke.

“Stop waiting.”

No one argued.

They finally accepted it. I wasn’t coming back.

At the same moment, the New York project team was on the rooftop terrace.

Rae had prepared jack-o’-lanterns too.

Six of them.

I spotted mine immediately.

A colleague handed it to me. Smiling.

“Lyra, yours is the biggest!”

I froze for a second.

So I could have the best.

Someone set up a camera. Called everyone over.

I instinctively moved to the side. Rae pulled me to the center.

“Project lead, where do you think you’re hiding?”

Colleagues gathered, laughing.

No one pushed out of frame. No last-minute chair.

Before the shutter, my phone lit up.

A photo from Leo.

On a California table, a jack-o’-lantern carved with my name.

[Happy Halloween.]

I looked at it for a moment. Didn’t reply.

Turned off my phone. Looked up at the camera.

“Three, two, one.”

Click.

In the photo, I stood in the center. My own pumpkin in my hands.

Everyone looked at the camera.

Some looked at me.

Night wind crossed the terrace. Lights in the distance.

Rae handed me the developed photo.

“Keep it safe. Our first full-team photo.”

I took it.

This time, no one was missing.

And I was no longer the one forgotten behind the lens.