They Planned A Party In My Home Without Me Chapter 08

They Planned A Party In My Home Without Me Chapter 08

After Ethan went home, Ryan and Tyler came to Riverton too.

They didn’t corner me outside the office. They only asked to meet me at a coffee shop.

At least they still remembered how much I hated being put on display.

Ryan slid a folder across the table.

Inside were pictures from all the years the five of us had spent together.

More precisely, they were pictures of the three guys and me.

It was only after Mia came along that my place in those pictures started disappearing.

“I didn’t realize it until I sorted through them.”

Ryan’s voice was rough.

“You were in every picture before.”

Tyler kept his head down.

“Later, you made the reservations, took the pictures, and carried the bags.”

“We started thinking it made no difference whether you were in the frame.”

“How was that the same?”

I asked.

Neither of them answered.

Ryan took a sip of coffee that had gone completely cold.

“I’m sorry.”

“When I pulled your chair back from the table that night, I wasn’t really trying to make you leave.”

“I just thought you wouldn’t take it personally.”

I nodded.

“I didn’t used to take things personally.”

A flicker of hope appeared in his eyes.

I continued:

“That’s why you kept crossing the line more and more.”

Tyler’s face tightened.

“Lena, we’ve made it clear to Mia.”

“We won’t invite her to our get-togethers anymore.”

I laughed.

“You still don’t get it.”

“I didn’t leave because Mia joined your little group.”

“I left because after she came along, I finally saw what I meant to you.”

Ryan rushed to explain:

“No. She could never replace you.”

“Then why was I always the one expected to make room?”

He had no answer.

The server came over to refill our water, breaking the tension.

Before we left, Ryan put a key on the table.

“Your old key.”

Ethan’s key is here too.

I didn’t take it.

“Throw it away.”

Tyler asked with red-rimmed eyes:

“Can we still be friends after this?”

“No.”

The word came more easily than I’d expected.

As I stood to leave, Ryan suddenly called after me.

“What if we hadn’t made you leave that night?”

I looked back at him.

“Then I might’ve kept lying to myself for a few more years.”

“So thank you.”

“For pulling my chair away.”