Chapter 2

Ginny's POV

A hush fell over the group. Martha looked a little nervous.

Ethan was the first to break the silence. "Don't overthink it. We made the decision at the last minute last night."

Bryan added, "We didn't mean to leave you behind. I saw you were still asleep earlier, so I didn't want to wake you."

But I hadn't even known that they were planning to watch the sunrise. I didn't even get to decide if I wanted to go.

Gavin wrapped an arm around Martha. "It's just a sunrise. If you want to see it, we can go with you again tomorrow morning."

"That's settled. Let's head home." The four of them walked ahead together.

I pulled out my phone and opened our five-person group chat. There was nothing in the chat about their plans to watch the sunrise.

So they hadn't discussed it in this group. It was in another group, one without me.

I opened my chat with my department manager again and began typing out the message I had wanted to send last night but never did.

"I'd like to take the assignment in Lokville." I hesitated for a moment before sending the message.

Bryan realized I was trailing behind and walked over to me. "Don't be upset. We'll watch the sunrise together next time. All five of us."

I nodded without saying anything. I knew there was a sunrise every day, but we would never watch it with all five of us together.

I stood alone downstairs outside our apartment as I spoke to my department manager. My flight was booked for Friday night.

Once I was done, I headed upstairs to our apartment. I opened the door and saw Bryan, Ethan, Gavin, and Martha on the couch, watching a movie.

Martha was curled up between the guys, hugging a throw pillow. Bryan sat next to her, with Gavin on the other side. Ethan was on the far end, laughing his head off.

None of them even noticed me. I stood off to the side of the living room and watched them for a while. Then I turned around and walked into my room, quietly closing the door behind me.

I pulled a suitcase down from the very top of the cabinet. It was the same one I had used when I moved into this apartment.

I opened my closet and took my clothes out one by one. I would be gone for a very long time, so I had to pack clothes for every season.

I chose a few things that would be easy to take with me. I folded them neatly before tucking them into the suitcase. I decided to have the rest shipped to me once I got to Lokville.

I took my time folding my clothes. Before I put each item in the suitcase, I smoothed out every wrinkle first.

I didn't leave a single thing behind. I took the books on my bedside table, the skincare products on my vanity, and the pot of mint I had been growing for ages.

The door suddenly swung open without a knock. Bryan stood at the doorway, holding a can of Coke.

Bryan's eyes shifted from the TV to the open suitcase. "Why are you packing all of a sudden?"

I didn't stop what I was doing. "I have to go on a business trip."

"How long will you be away?"

"I'm not sure."

"When are you leaving?"

"The company hasn't told me yet."

Bryan looked at me steadily before taking a swig of his Coke. "Alright then. Don't work too hard. I'll take you to the airport."

With that, he turned and walked back into the living room without even shutting the door behind him. Then I heard their laughter drifting in from the living room again.

I crouched in front of my suitcase, smoothing out the wrinkles in the half-folded sweater before tucking it into the bottom.

Bryan had asked me three questions, but he hadn't asked where I was going or why I was leaving so abruptly. He didn't even look at the clothes I had packed.

I zipped up the suitcase and struggled to get it upright before pushing it into the corner of the room.

They burst into laughter again in the living room.

I sat back on the bed and went through the nine photos in Martha's post again. The four of them fit perfectly within the frame.

I switched to our five-person group chat and started scrolling through the messages. I had mentioned that I would be working late on Friday and would be home later than usual.

Martha was the only one who responded with an "OK" sticker.

Last Friday, Bryan tagged Martha in the group chat. "Take your time shopping. We'll have supper together."

Two Fridays ago, Gavin tagged Martha in the group chat. "Be careful on your way home. We'll wait for you before we start dinner."

I kept scrolling through our messages and even searched for the word "wait" in our chat.

15 times. Every single one was about Martha. Only once was it used in a message about me.

Last Tuesday, Bryan sent a message in the group chat. "It's going to rain soon. Martha forgot her umbrella, so I'm going to pick her up. I can't wait for you anymore. We'll talk later."

That day, I stood in the rain under my umbrella for an hour before I finally managed to get a taxi.

I stared at the screen. I suddenly remembered that winter during my freshman year. I had asked in the group chat, "Why didn't you guys wait for me?"

Gavin replied, "You're all grown up. Why do you need us to wait for you?"

Bryan messaged, "We were rushing to get seats. We'll wait for you next time. I promise you."

Next time. And then next time again.

Bryan had said that many times. It was like a line from a script. Once he had said it, that was the end of it.

I muted the five-person group chat and cleared the conversation.

I wondered what they usually talked about in the four-person group chat that I wasn't included in.

Forget it. Some things didn't need to be spelled out.