Chapter 4

I sat in the back and watched as Kyle adjusted his seat, synced the bluetooth, and grabbed the lip balm from the storage compartment like he had done a million times before.

That was the chapstick I had bought.

Clarice mentioned that the air in the car tended to get dry, so she kept one there for my convenience.

Kyle twisted it open and applied some to his lips. “I hope you don’t mind, James. My lips are chapped.”

I replied, “Go on.”

Clarice observed me from the rear-view mirror.

She probably hadn’t expected me to handle the situation so calmly.

Kyle grinned. “James, how long are you planning to stay in Lake Tahoe?”

“I’m not sure.”

“It’s no fun traveling alone. Why don’t we join you later this week?” Kyle turned to Clarice. “Clarice, don’t you follow that travel influencer too? She talked about the beautiful sunsets in Lake Tahoe.”

Clarice stayed quiet.

I looked out the window. “Don’t come.”

Kyle’s expression went stiff.

Clarice said, “James, enough is enough.”

“Is it a crime to tell you not to come?”

“Kyle was just being nice.’

I grinned. “I’ll pass.”

The car pulled up outside the airport departures terminal.

I stepped out of the car and retrieved my suitcase.

Clarice got out after me and grabbed my wrist. “Text me once you get there.”

I tried to withdraw my arm, but I couldn’t pull away from her.

“I won’t.”

“James.”

“We’re done.”

Her grip tightened.

Kyle got out of the car. “James, don’t do anything rash.”

Clarice stared at me, her voice low. “Say that again.”

I locked eyes with her. “It’s over between us.”

As if she had heard the most ridiculous thing ever, Clarice scoffed. “All over a trip? Over a group chat?”

“It’s because I’m the one who gets left behind every single time.”

She fell silent.

Kyle whispered, “James, so much of it was pure coincidence. We didn’t mean to exclude you.”

I turned to him. “Is it a coincidence that you have a group chat without me too?”

Kyle went white.

Clarice furrowed her brows. “You went through my phone?”

“No,” I responded. “He replied in the wrong chat.”

Kyle teared up. “Clarice, it wasn’t intentional! I was just trying to bounce some ideas around, like planning a surprise for James.”

I asked, “What’s the surprise?”

Kyle opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Clarice stepped out to shield Kyle. “That’s enough. Must you make things awkward for everyone?”

Over the PA system, a voice announced that my flight was open for check-in.

I grabbed my suitcase. “It is pretty awkward.”

Clarice pulled a long face. “There’s no turning back for us if you walk away today.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

She was taken aback.

Turning on my heel, I walked into the terminal.

Before stepping into security, I looked back.

Clarice stood there.

Kyle leaned into her, looking like he was sobbing,

She didn’t chase after me.

Then came the last text from Clarice, seconds before I set my phone to airplane mode.

“James, don’t come crawling back to me.”

I killed the screen.

It hit me that the moment I was ready to walk out of her life, the pain was not as bad as I thought.

However, a void lingered within me, like a ticket for an old journey finally ripped apart.

…

My flight was delayed.

The boarding announcement rang out just as I sat down in the waiting area.

Once my phone caught a signal, a barrage of messages spammed my phone.

Clarice: “Where are you now?”

Clarice: “Cut the nonsense and get out here now.”

Clarice: “Kyle is hysterical. Happy now?”

The last message was ten minutes ago.

“I guess you’re not keeping your old journal anymore. Kyle spilled some water on it while cleaning up breakfast this morning. It’s a little wet.”

The tips of my fingers froze.

My old journal.

I yanked open the inner compartment of my suitcase.

It was empty.

Right then, all the sounds around me drowned out.

I knew for a fact that I had packed the journal away.

Right before leaving home, Kyle stood in the entryway and claimed the bag was leaking. He sent me to the kitchen to grab some paper towels.