Everything But Me

When the train pulled into the station, I picked up my suitcase and stepped onto the platform.

The doors slid shut behind me, and the sweltering July heat wrapped around me in an instant.

I stood there watching the high-speed train slowly pull away. Through the window, the two people in those seats were still laughing and chatting, completely oblivious to the fact that the person beside them was gone.

Dragging my suitcase behind me, I walked out of the station and bought a ticket for the next train home.

By the time I got back, it was already dark.

Just then, my phone rang.

I answered, and two faces crowded the screen.

"Ensley Keller, where did you go?" Emerald Spencer asked before anyone else could speak. "We didn't realize you were gone until we got off the train."

I almost laughed.

A living, breathing person had disappeared, and they hadn't noticed until they reached their destination.

Bridger Lewis frowned. "What's wrong with you? Why'd you leave without saying a word?"

Emerald lightly punched him on the arm. "This is definitely your fault. You forgot to buy Ensley's ticket and made her mad again. Hurry up and apologize."

"I already told you I have a memory impairment. I forget things easily. You're Ensley's best friend—you forgot to remind me too." Bridger dodged her punch, then reached back and caught her hand.

The two of them started playfully horsing around, the video shaking as their laughter crackled through the phone.

I sat on the couch with my phone in my hand, silently watching them.

No one asked why I'd gotten off the train.

No one asked what time I'd made it home.

No one asked how I was feeling.

They had their own little world. Even as Bridger's fiancee and Emerald's best friend, there wasn't even the tiniest bit of room for me in it.

After fooling around for quite a while, Bridger finally looked back at the screen.

"Come on, don't be mad. I'll buy you a ticket for tomorrow. Come meet up with us. The photoshoot's still on as planned."

I had barely opened my mouth to tell him there was no need when he looked away again.

Just before the call ended, I heard Emerald complain in a teasing voice.

"Why'd you only book one room with a king bed? Did you forget there were supposed to be three of us on this trip?"

"What? I just remembered you saying you can only sleep comfortably in a king bed, so that's what I booked."

Surprisingly, I didn't feel much of anything when I heard that. When he'd booked the room, he'd probably never thought of me at all.

As soon as the call ended, messages from Emerald started popping up.

[Ensley, Bridger and I figured we shouldn't waste the money, so we'll just share one room for now. Once you get here, we'll book another one.]

[Don't worry. While you're not here, I'll keep a close eye on him. I won't let him fool around.]

I stared at the messages, finding them more ridiculous with each passing second.

Over the years, had there really been that few times when Bridger had been distracted by someone else?

That night, I accepted the company's international branch assignment.

I was leaving in one week. The company had offered me a promotion, but it meant transferring to the Northgate branch.

At first, I'd hesitated because of the promise Bridger, Emerald, and I had made.

Back then, the three of us had agreed we'd all settle down in Southport.

But now it seemed there had never been a place for me in that promise to begin with.