Goodbye to Yesterday's Love

I quickly looked away, hoping to dodge the question. “It’s nothing,” I replied, forcing a light tone.

Before I could continue, Morgan approached, having just finished parking the car. Concern etched into his face and he looked at me closely.

“Why have you been going off without saying anything to us lately, Ariel?” he asked, a hint of reproach in his voice. “We could have come along.”

I gave him a polite smile, trying to keep things simple. “I didn’t want to bother you guys.”

Demi turned to our grandparents; her face full of curiosity. “Grandma, Grandpa, why do your eyes look so red?”

Grandma’s lips pursed, and she chose not to answer. Meanwhile, Grandpa forced a gentle smile, trying to lighten the moment.

“Why don’t you all come inside and stay for dinner?” he suggested. “You came all this way, after all.”

Demi’s eyes lit up, and she quickly looped her arm through Nate’s and Morgan’s, excitement sparkling in her gaze. “Yes, let’s have dinner together!”

I turned back to the taxi, gripping the door handle and ready to make my quiet exit. But Nate reached out, stopping me before I could get inside.

“Come on, Ariel,” he urged, his tone softening. “It’s just one meal. Join us.”

Morgan added with a nod, “It’s been ages since we all sat down together. Don’t leave like this.”

I held their gazes for a moment, my heart heavy with a sadness I couldn’t shake. “Thanks, guys, but I really need to go. My flight is already close,” I said, my voice steady.

Thankfully, Grandpa stepped in, coming to my rescue.

“Right, Ariel has to get to the jewelry show soon, so she really can’t stay,” he said with a gentle smile. “And we all had lunch together, so don’t worry about her.”

I smiled gratefully at my grandfather, who gave me a reassuring wink. He understood, and his support meant the world to me.

‘I love you so much, Grandpa,’ I thought as I closed the door.

The taxi pulled away, and I waved to my grandparents, but as I glanced back, I caught sight of Demi chatting easily with Nate and Morgan, as if she had always belonged there.

**

When I reached the airport,I learned that my flight had been canceled due to bad weather.The airline rescheduled it for the next afternoon,leaving me with an unexpected overnight stay.

I decided to sit down and wait out the hours in the airport,too restless to book a hotel.

I had just settled into a seat when my phone buzzed with an incoming call.

When I saw Demi’s name on it,I sighed,reluctant to answer.I knew she was probably calling to flaunt something,especially if Nate and Morgan were still with her.

But,knowing she was still at my grandparents’house,I reluctantly picked up.

As soon as I pressed the answer button,Demi’s voice bubbled through.“Ariel,Ariel!Guess what?Grandpa said that after I graduate,I can start an internship at his company!Isn’t that amazing?He’s so kind to me.”

I closed my eyes,taking a deep breath to steady myself.‘She’s just calling to show off,’I thought,my annoyance growing.

But I responded with as much neutrality as I could muster.“Congratulations.”

“Oh,and now,”she continued,her excitement bubbling over,“I’m going to be introduced to Nate and Morgan’s families because I might stay with one of them for a while until I graduate.Isn’t that wonderful?I can’t wait to meet them!”

I could faintly hear Nate’s and Morgan’s voices in the background,confirming my suspicion that they were all still together.They must have left my grandparents’house right after dinner.

Morgan’s laugh echoed faintly through the phone.“You’re adorable,Demi.”

Nate chimed in,“Right,why are you so cute?We just offered you a place to stay;it’s no big deal.”

“Hehe,I’m just so happy to know I have somewhere to stay,”Demi replied,her tone laced with what felt like triumph.

I moved the phone away from my ear,ready to hang up,but Demi’s voice stopped me.

“Let us know when you get there,Ariel.Be safe on the road.”She hung up first,leaving me staring at my screen in silence.

I sighed,a hollow ache settling in my heart.“I can’t hope for anything more from them anymore,”I muttered to myself.

Resigned,I let the phone fall into my lap and leaned back in my seat,feeling a strange emptiness.

Just then,a voice called out,breaking through my thoughts.“Ariel?”

I looked up,surprised to see Sasha Blake,my closest female friend from high school.A smile lit up my face as I stood,and we hugged each other tightly.

“Sasha?Oh my God,it’s so good to see you!”I said,unable to contain my excitement.

Sasha,dressed in her flight attendant uniform,returned the hug with equal enthusiasm.“Are you traveling,Ariel?”

“Yeah.Are you just getting off a flight?”I asked,taking in her uniform.

She nodded,glancing out the window where the rain had begun to pour.“Yes,but the next flight got canceled because of the weather,so I’m heading back to my apartment for the night.”

My eyes widened as a sudden realization hit me.“Wait,you’re a flight attendant on the flight to Warlington?”I pulled out my ticket,showing her the flight number.

Sasha’s face lit up with delight.“That’s my flight!Oh,the universe must really want us to meet up.”She laughed,giving me a playful nudge.

“Maybe it does,”I said with a laugh.

Sasha noticed my bags scattered around my feet and glanced back at me with a smile.“Well,since our flight’s been delayed until tomorrow,why don’t you come stay at my apartment?We can head to the airport together tomorrow.”

My spirits lifted instantly.“Are you sure?I would love that.”

“Of course!It’s been forever since we have caught up,”she said,picking up one of my bags as we made our way out of the airport.

The next morning,we decided to grab breakfast at the airport before our flight.Sasha had some last-minute work to handle,so we found a small caféand settled in,chatting over coffee and pastries.

I did not notice if Nate,Morgan,and Demi had been at the table beside us all the time.They even overheard my conversation with Sasha.

“So,are you nervous about leaving Stanmore for good?”Sasha asked,her voice full of genuine interest.

I nodded,meeting her gaze.“A little,but it feels like the right time to move on,to finally say goodbye.”

Nate’s head snapped up at my words,his eyes narrowing as he processed what I had just said.

He quickly approached our table,cutting into our conversation with a glare.“Ariel,you said you were leaving last night.So,what do you mean by leaving Stanmore for good?”His voice held a sharp edge.

“Did you lie to us about the jewelry show and your friend's wedding abroad?You’re just going to leave without a word,are you?”