We Promised to Wait for Everyone—But No One Waited for Me Chapter 09

We Promised to Wait for Everyone—But No One Waited for Me Chapter 09

Later, I heard the four of them moved out of the house, one after another.

Sometimes I still got messages from them.

Wesley sent one on holidays: [Happy holidays. Take care of yourself.]

Josie sent me her new design boards, with a note: [Delaney, I’m working hard to learn from you]

Miles never brought up getting back together again.

Every so often, he’d just ask: [How are you doing lately?]

I answered sometimes.

And when I was busy, I forgot.

The day Dawson came to Halloran City on business, he asked me to dinner.

I went.

He was a little more tanned than the last time I’d seen him.

When he ordered, he still remembered I liked shrimp.

We ate for a long time, and neither of us was in a hurry to leave.

Late into dinner, he put down his fork.

“Delaney, I’ve been wanting to say something. I’m sorry.

“Why bring this up now?”

He looked at me, sincere.

“We were wrong back then. We always thought you wouldn’t mind, so we really stopped thinking about you.”

“The more understanding you were, the more we took it for granted.”

He paused.

“Especially the design boards.”

“When I said your big company wouldn’t miss one design… looking back, that was a jerk thing to

say.”

miled.

“It’s in the past. Let’s not bring it up.”

He wanted to say more, but in the end he just nodded and raised his glass.

“Then… to you.”

I raised mine and touched it to his.

A crisp clink.

“To you.”

My project in Halloran City went very smoothly.

The following spring, I was promoted.

That night, my Instagram was busy.

Under the photo of my promotion, there were plenty of comments.

Wesley: [Delaney, congratulations! You’ve always been the one going places.]

Josie: [Delaney, you’re amazing!]

Dawson: [Director Hartwell. Don’t forget the little people when you’re famous.]

Miles: [Delaney, so happy for you.]

I read them all and wrote back one line: [Thank you, everyone.]

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I meant every word.

A while later, Wesley sent me a message.

[Delaney, we talked it over. We want to start a new group chat. Would you come back?]

I looked at the message for a long time.

I typed a single word, then deleted it.

At last I wrote out the whole thing and sent it.

[No, thanks.]

After a long while, he replied.

[Okay. Take care of yourself.]

I put down my phone.

I looked at the windowsill in my office, lined with plants of every kind.

When the wind blew, the leaves swayed gently.

Sunlight fell across my face, warm.

I remembered how, a long time ago, I’d thought: if only one day I could have a corner of my own.

Now I did.