Chapter 4

Ethan checked his phone screen again.

His chat with Riley still ended with the last message he’d sent her:

[We’ll talk when you’ve come to your senses.]

Something was off.

He knew Riley. Even when they were in a cold war,

her silence always carried a hint of a little game to get his attention.

But these past few days, she hadn’t even posted a single social media update.

“Ethan,” a mutual friend held his phone out, voice tinged with surprise. “Whoa, Riley’s photos… is she leaving?”

Ethan snapped back to reality.

It was a post from Jade’s social media. A series of photos.

The center photo was a selfie of Jade and Riley.

Riley was grinning, so bright.

He hadn’t seen her smile like that in a long time.

Then he saw the caption.

[Sent my best friend off abroad!]

Jade’s profile had always been blocked from his view.

He couldn’t see it normally.

But seeing that caption, his first reaction was anger.

“Tch, she’s really putting on a show.” He tugged at the corner of his mouth. “She definitely posted this to make me panic. Let her have her fun. If I don’t go, I’d like to see how she plays this out alone.”

The friend laughed awkwardly. “Ethan, is this really necessary…”

“Some things you can’t tolerate.” Ethan cut him off. “Especially when someone’s in her ear, stirring the pot. When this whole thing blows over,”

He paused, his words pointed. “I’ll make her understand who she needs to keep her distance from.”

In his mind, Jade had long been labeled a bad influence on Riley, someone who needed to be cut out.

Wednesday.

The day after those photos were posted.

Ethan felt restless all through class. He looked at my seat, but I wasn’t there.

It hit him then—I hadn’t been coming to school for days.

Ethan thought of a place we’d once promised to go back to—

the rooftop at the back of the school.

In eleventh grade, we’d skipped class and snuck up there to feel the breeze. He’d said:

“After graduation, I’m going to officially ask you out again right here.”

Clutching that last shred of hope, he ran there.

Someone was standing on the rooftop.

The sunset stretched her shadow long.

His heart leaped. He strode forward quickly.

“Riley—”

The person turned around.

It was Serena.

“What are you doing here?” He frowned.

Serena looked at him, her eyes a little red.

“I was waiting for you.”

“Waiting for me for what?”

“Ethan, I like you. I’ve liked you since ninth grade.”

She took a step forward. “I know you were with Riley, but I’ve been waiting. Now that she’s gone, can you… just look at me?”

Ethan stepped back.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t feel that way about you.”

Serena’s face went pale.

“Because of Riley? She’s already gone!”

“It has nothing to do with her.” Ethan turned around. “I just don’t like you.”

His footsteps were a little unsteady as he walked down from the rooftop.

He didn’t understand what Serena meant by “she’s already gone.” He couldn’t help but go ask the school counselor.

The counselor flipped through the records and told him:

“Riley? Her parents completed her withdrawal paperwork. She left last week.”

Ethan was stunned.

“Withdrawal? She withdrew?”

“Yes, transferring to a school abroad. The paperwork was processed very quickly.”

He started frantically trying to contact me.

Called my phone—off.

Sent messages—no reply.

He called our mutual friends, and every single one told him:

“Haven’t seen Riley in a while.”

“She didn’t contact you?”

“I thought you knew.”

He ran to my house and pounded on the door for a long time.

A strange woman opened it.

“Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Riley. She lives here.”

“You mean the previous owners? My family just bought this house a couple of days ago. The old owners moved out today.”