Chapter 1

By the time I came out with my bags packed, the chat on the tablet was still blowing up. They'd moved on from how boring I was to barbecue plans for the next day, then to which spots had the best food. There were 99 new messages and counting.

After that thread died down, Wade Kirby sent one last message.

"This is what life's supposed to feel like. The air's literally fresher without Cece around."

Noelle Frasier replied, "Cece's such a buzzkill. Hanging out with her is no fun."

Sebastian Radford dropped a link to a barbecue place. "Take a look at the menu and see what you want."

Wade wrote, "I want grilled calamari. Cece's allergic to seafood, so every time we eat with her, I can never order half the stuff I want."

Noelle followed up, "If Cece's not coming, I'm ordering everything extra-hot. Nobody has a problem with that, right?"

Sebastian replied, "Go for it."

I stood in front of the couch, staring at the tablet.

Noelle and Wade had been my friends since we were kids. Because our preferences never lined up, I was always the one adjusting.

I was allergic to seafood, so whenever the group went to a seafood buffet, I'd just pick at the fries on the side. I couldn't handle spice, so every time they wanted heat, I'd spend the whole meal picking around the mild options and drowning everything in water.

I always thought that's what friendship was. We'd meet each other halfway and make small sacrifices. But in the end, in a group of friends, I was still the one left out, the one who never quite fit.

The messages kept rolling in. Noelle wrote, "Oh, and Sebastian, make sure you hide your posts from Cece this time. Last time she almost found out."

I froze.

A week ago, Sebastian had posted a photo on Instagram. The background was that barbecue joint on the west side, and front and center were three glasses clinking together. One of the hands in the shot was wearing a bracelet that looked a lot like the one I'd given Wade for his birthday.

The four of us had been playing cards together at the time. I asked casually, "Is that you and Wade in the post? Who's the third person?"

All three of them went still at the same time. Noelle's eyes darted to Sebastian before she could stop herself, surprise written all over her face.

Sebastian didn't look at me. He just tossed a card my way, one I happened to need, and said flatly, "No, just a coworker. You don't know them. Focus on the game."

I'd just won that round, so I let it go and didn't think about it again.

Looking back now, the signs had been so obvious. I just trusted them too much to believe they'd ever lie to me.

My phone buzzed. It was a text from the venue coordinator.

"Ms. Ward, once the engagement venue is canceled, the reservation cannot be reinstated. Are you sure you'd like to proceed?"

I didn't hesitate. "Yes. Cancel it."

If they thought having me around made things feel crowded, then I'd just remove myself from their lives.

I took the tablet back into the bedroom. The moment I shut the door, a message from my boss, Max Delaney, popped up.

"Cecilia, are you sure you don't want that regional lead position in the Belcourt office?"

I paused. But two more messages came through right after.

"I know it means relocating overseas for two years, but the compensation package is excellent."

"You seemed pretty interested when I first brought it up. Think it over."