Chapter 1

I changed as fast as I could and rushed out. The three of them had already gone downstairs.

By the time I jogged over and caught up to them, Brody Lawton was already impatient.

"What a diva. Three of us were waiting for you, and you don't even feel bad about it?"

Heath Merrick chimed in, "Kyra's been out shopping all day. She's exhausted, but she still insisted we come back to get you so we could all go together."

"Of course! All four of us have to be there!" Kyra Donnelly looped her arm through mine, grinning from ear to ear.

I glanced down at my shoelace, which I had not had time to tie properly. If Kyra had not accidentally sent that message, they would not have come back for me at all.

By the time I finished tying my shoe and stood up, the three of them were already far ahead. Heath and Brody flanked Kyra on either side like two knights escorting a princess.

The sight stung.

Ever since I introduced Kyra to them, I had slowly been pushed to the edge of our little group of four.

On our graduation trip, the three of them went into the ocean with Kyra to hunt for shells while I stood on the shore with a fever, holding the camera to document everything for them.

When Kyra got a headache, both of them immediately abandoned me in the middle of a severe allergic reaction and rushed to her side. Once, a sudden downpour hit, and they instinctively drove to pick Kyra up, leaving me stranded at school and completely forgotten.

"Macy, there's no room in the car." Brody's voice cut through my thoughts.

Heath shoved the shopping bags into the back seat. "Kyra's got too much stuff. There's only room for one person back there. Just get a ride. I'll pay you back."

I glanced inside. It was packed, but if they squeezed, I could have fit.

"It's fine, I'm small enough to..." I started to say.

A notification chimed on my phone. Ten dollars had been transferred into my account. The car door shut at the same time. A wave of hot air hit my face and dried the sweat instantly.

I stared at the ten dollars Heath had sent, then opened a rideshare app. Under the scorching sun, sweat dripped down my forehead while I waited. The car took forever to arrive.

By the time I stumbled into Sorelli's, drenched and disheveled, the three of them were already seated. All the dishes had been served.

"Macy, you're the last one to arrive again." Brody frowned.

"Try to be faster next time. Everyone's always waiting for you," Heath added, clearly annoyed.

"Don't worry about it. Mace is here now. That's all that matters!" Kyra pulled me into the seat beside her with a playful grin.

All three of them had chosen the inner seats, so I was stuck on the outside, right next to the door.

At the table, Heath loaded Kyra's plate for her while Brody poured her orange juice. Brody said something I did not catch, and all three of them burst out laughing.

Watching how effortlessly happy they looked together, it hit me that I had stopped being part of this group a long time ago.

As if he had only just noticed I was there, Heath dropped a piece of beef onto my plate.

"Here. Your favorite."

I looked down at the beef that was smothered in pepper. Something sharp twisted in my chest. "Heath, I can't eat spicy food."

The last time I ate something spicy, I ended up in the hospital with acute gastritis and was hooked up to an IV for three straight days. Heath and Brody both felt terrible about it at the time and swore they would never let me touch anything spicy again.

A flash of embarrassment crossed Heath's face.

Brody slid a glass of water toward me. "You're so dramatic. Just have some water with it."

I ignored him and helped myself to some vegetables instead.

After dinner, Kyra insisted on going to see a movie, but my stomach suddenly seized with a sharp, twisting pain.

"Heath, Brody, my stomach really hurts. Can you take me to the hospital first?"

Heath pressed his hand to my forehead. "You don't have a fever. It's probably just the spice not sitting well."

"Just ignore her. She's always making a fuss." Brody waved it off. "She's definitely still mad we didn't give her a ride."

"No, I really..." The pain was so bad that sweat was pouring down my face. I could barely get the words out.

Heath patted my head. "If it's that bad, just go home and rest. We'll all go together next time."

I watched the three of them walk away shoulder to shoulder, their backs growing smaller. My legs finally gave out, and everything went black.