All Chapters of A Trip for Three: He Panicked When I Left: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

The gas station owner, Mr. Lloyd, rolled up the metal shutter. I sat on a plastic chair, clutching three backpacks.He recognized me and looked out at the empty highway."Your friends aren't back yet?"I shook my head and tucked Ethan’s forgotten charger into my side pocket.Mr. Lloyd handed me a cup of hot water. "Where's the truck?""They went ahead to the next campsite."My voice sounded raspy, even to me.Yesterday at dusk, Ethan unloaded two boxes of gear. He said he and Juliet were going to the salt flats to shoot night timelapses.I wanted to go. He pointed at the equipment stack instead."This stuff costs more than the vehicle. Someone needs to guard it."Juliet stood by the passenger door, chiming in."Diana, you don't do photography anyway. You'll just freeze out there. We'll come right back for you."I believed them.I waited from sunset until pitch black. I waited until the station lights went off.Cell service flickered. I called Ethan seven times. He nev

Chapter 2

The bus got delayed. The driver called to say a rock slide closed the highway. He was three hours out.Mrs. Lloyd, the owner's wife, offered me lunch. As she set down a bowl of hot noodles, an RV pulled up outside.Juliet stepped out through the door, her cheeks flushed red from the heat."Diana, why aren't you answering your phone?"She leaned against the counter, huffing with annoyance."Ethan realized he forgot the camera gear. He drove two hours back so I could grab it. Come help me carry this."I didn't move.Juliet followed my gaze to the heavy pack by the wall. She yanked the handle. It didn't budge."It's loaded with three camera lenses. It's freezing up here, don't throw a fit."She glanced out the window. Once she was sure Ethan hadn't followed her inside, her voice dropped."Last night was an accident. We were supposed to turn around, but the view on the far side of the lake was incredible."Ethan said you're always sensible. He knew you'd be fine at the stati

Chapter 3

I got back to town past midnight and checked into a motel near the bus terminal.While the front desk verified my ID, Ethan called on FaceTime.I ignored the video and texted back that I was in the shower.He immediately sent a voice note with Juliet’s laughter echoing in the background."Get some sleep. Take a shared shuttle down the highway tomorrow."We're heading to the canyon first. When you get here this afternoon, go straight to cooking. Juliet wants that beef stew you make."Before the note ended, Juliet leaned close to the mic."Easy on the pepper. My throat hurts."I muted my phone and unzipped my backpack.The spare RV key, the campground reservations, and our travel stamp journal were tucked in the inner pocket.This trip was supposed to be a graduation promise between Ethan and me.On our first date in freshman year, we lost our way on rental bikes and took shelter at a gas station convenience store half the night.Ethan bought a blank journal and promised we w

Chapter 4

Ethan had sent dozens of texts this morning. First, he told me to hurry up and come. Then, he asked why I canceled the campsite reservations.I refunded the money back to whoever paid for what and sent him a brief reply.“You guys can rebook under Juliet's plan.”He took a long time to answer.“Juliet wasn't feeling well last night and I was busy taking care of her. I don't have time for this. Just rebook them.”I ignored it.At noon, Dad went to finalize the tow truck arrangements. Mom accompanied me to the bus terminal to retrieve the bag I left at the gas station.Ethan’s pack was still stuffed tight, though a sleeve of stomach medicine was missing.Mrs. Lloyd told me that when they came back for the gear, Ethan’s stomach was acting up, so he pulled the meds from his bag."Your boyfriend praised you for being so thorough," she added. "He said once you cooled off, you'd come find him."I zipped my pack and corrected her. "He's not my boyfriend anymore."The woman froze

Chapter 5

Early the next morning at the canyon campsite, Ethan knocked on the RV door for the third time, holding the sack of beef.No one answered. He called Juliet, but the call went straight to automated voicemail.Juliet stepped out of her tent wrapped in a coat, complaining about her bad sleep and asking when breakfast would be ready."She's not here yet," Ethan said, setting the meat back on the table. "The shared shuttle is probably delayed."Juliet glanced down the empty highway."The spot got canceled. We have to leave before noon. Go talk to the camp manager."Ethan found the manager, but the man only recognized the primary name on the booking."Miss Thomas canceled every site last night," the manager said. "We already gave those spots to other campers.""She's just throwing a tantrum. Can you restore them?""I can't." The manager shut the logbook. "You need to clear your gear by ten."Juliet's face fell. She stood beside Ethan, whispering with irritation, "I told you not t

Chapter 6

After the flatbed truck left, Ethan and Juliet had no choice but to stack their gear on the side of the road.The rental sedan was too small for all their photography equipment. Juliet refused to leave a single crate behind, insisting he make a second trip."I'll stay here and watch the stuff," she said. "You take the first load to the lodge."When Ethan heard ‘stay here and watch the stuff,’ he fixed a cold gaze on her.Juliet shifted uncomfortably under his stare. "There are people around during the day. It's not like that gas station.""There were people at the gas station too.""So now you're blaming me?" Her voice rose before she caught herself. "You said back then that Diana wouldn't mind. You were the one who decided to keep driving."Ethan didn't argue. He loaded the gear into the trunk and drove toward the next stop as planned.Along the way when they were coming, Diana constantly tried to adjust their lodging and route. She complained that the lodge was too far, t

Chapter 7

Maya’s grandma’s window overlooked the river. Every morning when I woke up, I heard the rhythmic thud of wooden paddles washing laundry against the stepping stones down below.Maya pulled back the doorway curtain and set a bowl of rice noodles on the table."Your phone kept lighting up last night. Want to check it?""No rush."First, I helped Grandma gather the green beans drying in the yard and put them into a wicker basket. Then I walked with her to the morning market.The streets here were narrow, with scooters zipping right past the brick walls. Fearing I wasn't used to it, Maya kept a light grip on my sleeve.No one rushed me to build an itinerary. No one expected me to keep up.It was only after we got home that I finally unlocked my phone.Ethan had sent a long message. He said he and Juliet had split up. He admitted he was wrong to leave me at that gas station.He said he was heading south now and wanted to apologize to my face.I finished reading, then turn

Chapter 8

When the sour fish soup hit the table, Ethan was still sitting on the stone steps across the river.Grandma pulled the curtains shut and refused to let me look."A boy who screwed up won't shatter from sitting in the night dew. Eat your fish."I picked the bones out of her portion, but accidentally scalded my fingers on the hot broth.Grandma took my hand to run it under cold water, scolding me for being so distracted.I didn't deny it.Four years wasn't like a jacket you could just take off and immediately get used to the cold.That night, I heard the courtyard gate click softly. I thought Ethan had finally left.The next morning, however, a bag of fresh tomatoes sat on the stone table, holding down a note.“The beef went bad, but I brought these.”Maya was angry enough to throw them straight into the trash, but I took the bag and brought it to our neighbor instead.“Those tomatoes arrived far too late. No one was waiting to cook that stew anymore.”Ethan stayed in town.

Chapter 9

Grandma wanted to turn the attic into a guest room. Maya and I spent three days clearing out old furniture.When it came to moving the last wooden chest, Ethan appeared.He didn't jump right in. He stood outside the gate first, asking if I needed a hand.Maya's arms were shaking from the heavy lifting. "Ask Diana. Don't look at me," she snapped.I let him in. The three of us carried the heavy chest downstairs together.As the box hit the ground, a wooden splinter sliced Ethan's palm open.I set the first-aid kit on the table, but I didn't grab his hand to clean it like I used to.He sanitized the cut and applied a bandage himself. His movements were slow, but he didn't beg for my help.Grandma sat by the door, watching him for a while, then ordered him to see two bed boards.Ethan agreed without hesitation. When he ruined the first board, Grandma docked his pay just the same.He didn't try to explain that he wasn't skilled at carpentry. He simply measured the second board

Chapter 10

The following spring, Maya and I took a seven-hour local train down the coast.Grandma had asked us to bring a jar of homemade preserves to an old friend who lived far away. After dropping it off, we didn't head back right away, we stayed in town for three days instead.This was the very coastal town I had wanted to include in our graduation trip, the one Juliet cut from the master plan.There were no grand canyons here, nor stunning star trails suitable for social media posts. The sea wall offered only dried-fish stalls and elderly locals strolling at dusk.I loved every bit of it.That evening, Maya bought two ice pops and asked where we were going next.I opened a newly bought blank notebook and wrote down the old lighthouse behind the bus stop on page one."Lighthouse first. We'll decide tomorrow.""Works for me," she said, tossing the choice back to me. "Fish or noodles for dinner?"I thought it over carefully and picked fish.When we reached the base of the lighthou

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