I'm not a Third Wheel anymore

After dinner, we were preparing to leave. Ryan walked up to me and he said in a hesitant voice, “Jenna, it's too late at night. It will not look good if we let Emily go all alone. I think I should drop her home."

He added in a concerned voice,"It's getting late, and the roads can be tricky at night."

I narrowed my eyes before asking, "You're leaving me here alone?"

He held my hands and said politely, "Just for a little while, I promise. I'll be back soon. Wait for me."

I looked straight into his eyes and asked,"Why can't she find someone else to take her home? Why didn't your friends drop her before leaving for their homes? Why only you?"

Ryan's expression softened as he requested,"Please understand, Jenna. Emily's alone, and I want to make sure she's safe."

I mumbled in a low voice,"And what about my safety? What about us?"

He looked deeply into my eyes, saying, "You're my priority, Jenna. But this is just a favor for a friend.".

"A friend?" I narrowed my eyes.

"Don't be jealous, Jenna. I love you." He added, “Don't worry, I'll come back soon and pick you up.”

“ No need. I’ll hire a ride and leave. I’m tired and want to sleep.” I replied flatly.

He hesitated for a moment, maybe wanted to coax me with a few more words. But seeing Emily leaving alone, he left me without any words and went to drop Emily. I watched them sitting in Ryan's car from afar. They left.

I hired a cab and came home. I took a shower first and came to bed. My gaze fell on the ring Ryan gifted me. I stared at it for a while and realized it was loose on my finger. I was slightly thinner than Emily. This realization of the ring not being bought for me in the first place hit me harder. Wearing it on my finger would only hurt me more. I stared at the ring for a while, then took it out and threw it aside. I recalled what my colleague told me in the office. I took a long sigh of relief and began packing my clothes. Maybe looking for my biological family was a better escape plan for me.

After a few minutes, Ryan arrived. While walking inside the room, he complained, “I told you that I would go back to pick you up. But, you just don't listen to me.”

I didn't reply to him. I noticed his cheeks being painted. He noticed my gaze on his cheeks and instantly replied, “Actually, Ned asked me to help him draw paintings. I couldn't refuse him.”

He then put his phone on the side table of our bed and went to take a shower. Suddenly, his phone buzzed with a notification and the light flickered on his phone which showed his phone screen. I couldn't help picking up his phone and look into it. He had set his picture with Ned on the phone screen. They were painting each other's cheeks, looking like a duo of father and son.

Ryan came out of the washroom and his gaze fell on me, holding his phone in my hands. He rushed up to me and immediately snatched the phone from my hands. He laughed nervously while saying, “Ned forced me to put his picture on the phone’s screen. I’ll delete it.”

“No need of deleting it. You two are looking cute together,” I said flatly, ‘Like father and son’ remained inside me.

While snatching the phone from my hands he noticed that I wasn't wearing the ring he gave me earlier. He couldn't help asking, “Why did you take off the ring?”

“It didn't fit to my fingers. Maybe it was not made for me.” I replied flatly. He was startled and quickly protested with a forced smile, “Maybe you have lost weight. You should eat more.”

I couldn't help smirking on his deceitful answer. I immediately added in a pretentious voice, “Why don't you gift it to Emily? I think it will fit on her. Besides, this ring will match perfectly with her necklace.”