Chapter 1 The Trip I Wasn't Invited On

I had barely muted the group chat when Kendra's notification flashed across my screen.

"I can't take you to see the new house this weekend. Something else came up."

I frowned, fingers hovering over the keyboard before I typed, "Is it really that urgent? I moved my entire work schedule just to get this weekend off. There's something important I want to discuss, too."

However, Kendra never replied.

…

When I checked the group chat, she was still happily chatting away with Josiah. Apparently, she had plenty of time to talk to him, just not to me.

I wasn't going to embarrass myself by chasing her for an answer. So I put my phone aside, opened my laptop, and started writing my resignation letter.

I'd been feeling burned out for a while, and everything that had happened lately only made it worse. I was tired of my job and the constant disappointment, and honestly, I just wanted to get away from it all for a while.

The next morning, I went to HR to submit my resignation. The vice president spent quite a while trying to persuade me to stay, but once he realized I'd made up my mind, he reluctantly agreed to my resignation in two weeks.

I'd planned to share the news with Kendra and Josiah in our group chat, but Josiah's latest Instagram post stopped me in my tracks.

"Someone thinks I've been working too hard, so they're treating me to a short vacation!"

His location showed he was at the airport, and he attached a photo of two plane tickets bound for Cedarvale.

Curious, I zoomed in. One ticket had his name, and the other Kendra's.

I gaped at the screen, barely believing what I saw.

I thought, 'So, this was Kendra's urgent excuse? She ditched our plans to run off with Josiah? And to Cedarvale, the very place I'd suggested in the group chat? What the heck!'

I jumped into the chat and tagged them both.

"Are you guys in Cedarvale? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Neither of them replied, which by now was no surprise. Still, I sent Kendra a private message. "Why are you going on a trip alone with Josiah?"

That went unanswered too.

It wasn't until I was about to leave work that Kendra finally responded in the group chat.

"Just landed. It was a last-minute thing. You've been so busy with work lately, so we figured we wouldn't bother you."

She said it so casually, as though that alone was explanation enough and I was simply expected to accept it.

Josiah chimed in with a smug little laughing emoji, and I just stared at their messages in disbelief. They could chat for hours, but letting me know about a trip I suggested was apparently too much to ask for.

When I finally got home, my landlord was already parading prospective tenants through my apartment. He spotted me and broke into a wide grin.

"Hey, Xavier! Congratulations!" he said with a chuckle. "I heard you're moving into a new house with your girlfriend! Getting ready to tie the knot, huh?"

Before I could respond, he leaned in and added with an amused grin, "Oh, and that buddy of yours who came by last time? He didn't look too happy when I mentioned marriage. What's his deal? Afraid you'll forget about him once you're a married man?"

For a moment, I didn't know what to say.

He was talking about Josiah, of course.

I pressed my lips together, too drained to explain how tangled my life had become.

"Actually, I quit my job," I said after a pause. "And Kendra and Josiah have other plans. So, there isn't going to be a wedding."