Chapter 4

I didn't reply. Instead, I tapped "Leave Group".

Sebastian didn't come through the door until the next afternoon. Noelle and Wade trailed in behind him, all three of them in fresh clothes, not a trace of barbecue smoke or alcohol on any of them.

They all froze for a second when they saw me walk out of the bedroom.

Noelle spoke first. "I asked in the group chat last night what time you were heading over, but you never answered. I figured you'd already gone ahead to the dress shop."

None of them had noticed I'd left the group.

Wade sprawled across the couch. "I was up half the night looking at invitation designs for you two. That dri… that invitation selection is brutal. You guys better give me my own table at the wedding for all this effort."

Noelle laughed and hooked her arm through mine. "Then I'm calling dibs on the bouquet! You'd better aim right at me when you throw it!"

Sebastian smiled as he poured them water. "If you really want it that badly, just have Cece hand it to you."

"No way, I want Cece to throw it to me herself!"

The three of them went back and forth, the picture of warmth and ease, as if the four of us really were as close as we'd ever been. Only I knew that all of it was fake. The only life they actually wanted was the one without me in it.

I went back to the bedroom and gathered my passport, my ID, and my visa paperwork. When I wheeled my suitcase out, the living room was already empty.

A text from Sebastian popped up on my phone. "Noelle was dying to see the new dresses, so we went ahead. Just grab a cab and meet us there."

They weren't dying to see dresses. They just thought the car ride was more comfortable without me.

I looked around the empty bedroom and smiled, the kind that came with letting go. "Okay."

After the cab dropped me at the airport, two more messages from Sebastian came through. The first was a photo of Noelle wearing my dress, beaming at the camera.

"You were taking too long, so I let Noelle try it on for you. Wade and Noelle both think the second one looks better, so we're going with that."

I didn't reply. I deleted Sebastian from my contacts.

Since he needed everything to be the "right fit" so badly, then a life without me was the most fitting thing I could give him.

I put my phone away and walked toward the international departures check-in.

…

On the way home, Sebastian's phone kept buzzing with messages from the "No Cecilia Ward Today" group.

Noelle sounded surprised. "Seriously? Cece was actually throwing a fit at you last night?"

Wade replied, "Doesn't she usually do whatever you say? How bad was it that she's talking about calling off the engagement? Was it pre-wedding jitters?"

Sebastian sent a voice message while he drove. "Who knows with her. She's been making a fuss over nothing lately."

Noelle laughed. "Good thing you can vent about it in here. If Cece ever found out what you say about her behind her back, she'd really call off the wedding."

Wade cracked up. "You think she wouldn't be mad about what we've been saying too? Can't help it though, we're just telling the truth. And she's so sensitive about everything anyway.

"Alright, alright, you're almost home, aren't you? Let's drop it before Cece sees."

The group went quiet. Sebastian turned off his phone screen and unlocked the front door.

He kicked off his shoes and called out, "Why didn't you answer my texts? What did you think of the dress?"

No one answered. Sebastian looked up, and something about the apartment felt hollow.

"Cece?" He walked further inside, frowning. "Why aren't you answering me? What's the attitude about this time? Is it because we didn't take you along today? You were the one being slow."

He shoved the bedroom door open, and it was empty. The only thing left was his tablet, sitting on the bed.

The screen was unlocked, still open to the three-person group chat called "No Cecilia Ward Today", messages scrolling quietly down the screen.