My Friend’s Act

(Tony's POV)

I turned and walked toward the elevator.

Abby Young frowned at the gifts scattered across the floor, but she made no move to come after me.

The door closed behind me.

Then, I heard Gene Burke laugh. “Don’t worry. Tony’s just feeling left out, so he’s throwing a tantrum.”

Abby’s voice drifted through the door. “Don’t mind him, Dad. He’s a friend of ours. That’s how he is.”

The elevator arrived.

I had heard enough. I stepped inside without looking back, shutting out the sound of everyone fussing over Gene.

As the elevator descended, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

It was texts from Abby.

[Enough with the drama. My dad spent all day making this dinner. What are my parents supposed to think after the way you behaved?]

[Besides, Gene is your best friend, not some stranger. He’s already hurting from the breakup. Why are you making things worse?]

I stared at the screen for a few seconds before replying.

[I’m only a friend, remember? I wouldn’t want to intrude on your family dinner.]

A second later, texts from Gene came, along with a photo of an elaborate feast.

[Tony, her parents put a lot of work into this dinner. You shouldn’t disrespect everything they did for us.]

[If my being here bothers you that much, I’ll leave.]

It was absurd. They took turns trying to persuade me to go back, yet neither of them had any intention of telling Abby’s parents the truth.

I looked more closely at the photo. Not a dish on that table was something I liked.

Three of them contained seafood, which I was allergic to, while the rest were loaded with enough spicy ingredients to make them impossible for me to eat.

They were, however, all Gene’s favorites.

Suddenly, the whole thing felt pointless.

By the time I stepped outside the apartment building, it had started raining. Within seconds, my thin shirt was soaked through.

The rideshare app showed a twenty-three-minute wait as rainwater streamed from my hair.

I suddenly remembered asking Abby the night before, “Is there anything I should know before meeting your parents tomorrow?”

She had been smiling at a message from someone and did not even look up. “It’s just dinner. Relax. You’re going to do fine.”

I had assumed she was simply playing it cool, too awkward to admit that she was nervous for me too.

I finally understood. To her, this dinner had never been about me. I was only tagging along.

My phone rang. Thinking it was my driver, I answered.

Mr. Young’s voice was warm. “Tony, please come back. You’re our guest, and this is your first time here. Abby should’ve made you feel more welcome.”

I could hear Abby in the background. “Dad, if he doesn’t want to join, let him go. Why bother calling when he’s determined to sulk?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could speak, Gene’s cheerful voice came through the phone. “Mr. Young, let me bring in the last dish. It looks delicious!”

Then, I heard the affection in Abby’s voice. “I knew you were coming, so I asked Dad to make all your favorites. You have to eat more.”

It was quiet on the other end of the line.

Something inside my chest quietly crumbled to dust.

“Abby can be inconsiderate sometimes. Please don’t hold it against her…”

“Mr. Young,” I interrupted, my voice nearly drowned out by the rain.

“The truth is, I’m the one who was dating your daughter. But as of today, we’re over.”