Chapter 23 Allergies
The taste of almond lingered bitterly in my mouth as I gasped for air, trying to fight off the rapid swelling in my throat. “I’m… allergic.” I managed to choke out, pointing to the cupcake on the floor. I’d tossed it aside in panic, but Noel and Adrian seemed oblivious to the severity of my reaction.
Adrian folded his arms, his expression both irritated and perplexed. “Cynthia, what is wrong with you lately? This is so unlike you. You’re acting… unreasonable.”
“Unrecognizable, even.” Noel added with a disapproving frown.
I stared at them in disbelief, my vision beginning to blur. Between gasps. I forced
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I the words out, desperation making my voice tremble. “It… it had almond in it. You both know… I’m allergic. Remember how you used to… protect me?”
Silence filled the room as the reality of my words began to sink in. Noel’s face shifted, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Adrian looked down, a faint blush creeping across his cheeks.
“We’re sorry, Adrian muttered, though his tone was stiff, as though he was embarrassed to admit they d overstepped. “But… you should know Avery put a lot of effort into making those cupcakes. She didn’t know.”
“Yeah,” Noel chimed in, glancing over at Avery, who was standing a few feet away, looking wounded and on the verge of tears.
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“She tried her best. The least you could’ve done was appreciate that, Cynthia.”
The pang of betrayal stung more deeply than the allergic reaction itself. But there was no use in arguing. They were already looking past me, moving toward Avery, murmuring reassurances and offering comforting smiles.
The doorbell rang, and I turned as two paramedics stepped inside. Noel gave me a quick, dismissive glance, then turned back to Avery, his arm around her shoulder, comforting her as if she were the one suffering.
I went with the paramedics in silence, my throat closing tighter with each second, both from the reaction and the ache of betrayal. By the time we reached the hospital, I felt as though I’d left more than just that cupcake
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on the floor. A part of me–the part that had once trusted Noel and Adrian more than anyone in the world–was crumbling away.
I spent the next few days in recovery, alone in my hospital bed, replaying the events over and over. I was exhausted from hoping that one day they’d see me again–the real me, the Cynthia they’d once protected, cared about, and maybe even loved. But as each hour passed, the feeling that something had irrevocably changed between us solidified. I couldn’t stay somewhere that left me feeling
so unseen.
As soon as I was discharged, I packed my things, each item a reminder of moments that now felt tainted. It wasn’t just the apartment–it was my father’s house, the place I’d inherited and tried to fill with new memories, with love. Now it felt empty, like a hollow shell.
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As I walked through each room, packing up fragments of my life, the walls seemed to close in, the familiar spaces now thick with silence. My fingers brushed the edge of the kitchen counter where I’d once sat with Noel and Adrian, laughing until we cried over burnt pancakes that neither of us wanted to admit were our fault. I remembered us dancing in the dim light of the living room, spinning wildly to an old jazz record of my father’s, their laughter mixing with mine.
Now, the countertop felt cold under my hand, the laughter replaced by a hollow quiet that echoed back every step. I reached for a framed photo of my father, his warm smile meeting mine, and the ache in my chest deepened. This house had been his dream, every corner of it filled with pieces of him–the worn armchair by the window, the shelf he’d built himself in the study, the smell
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A
of his cologne still lingering in his closet.
As I sealed up the last box, I looked around one final time, trying to feel the love I’d once put into these walls, hoping I’d feel the warmth that had carried me through countless nights. But all I saw were empty spaces where memories once lived. It was as though the house itself had already let go, waiting for someone who could see past the echoes and turn it into a home again.
I handed the keys over to my father’s old colleague that afternoon. his hand lingering on mine as he looked at me with a knowing sadness. “I’ll take good care of it, Cynthia. Your father… he’d be proud.”
I nodded, swallowing hard. “I know you will. Thank you.”
And as I turned away, the weight of the
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leaving nothing but a quiet acceptance in its place.
Weeks later,
coffee shop was sitting at my favorite
that familiar buzz of excitement and nervousness swirling in my stomach as I glanced at the door. Noel and Adrian had reached out, asking if I d meet them for coffee. A small spark of hope lit up inside me, despite everything. Maybe… maybe this was the start of something new. Maybe they d realized what they d lost, what I’d been trying to hold onto all these years.
I looked down at the steaming cup of coffee in front of me, tracing the rim with my finger, just as the two of them slid into the booth across from me.
“Cynthia,” Noel started. his gaze level but
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distant. “Thanks for coming.”
Adrian nodded, though his expression seemed more curious than apologetic.
“So, we heard you sold the house.”
I felt a little flutter in my chest as I nodded, wondering if they’d bring up the real reason I’d left–the hurt and the distance that had been growing between us. But instead, Noel raised an eyebrow, his voice carrying a hint of exasperation.
“Don’t you think that was… extreme?” he asked, watching me carefully. “I mean, over a minor incident with a cupcake?”
I blinked, the words sinking in like a slap.
“Minor?” I echoed, trying to keep my tone even. “It wasn’t just about the allergy–it was
about you two not… seeing me. You were too focused on Avery to even notice.”
Adrian tilted his head, frowning thoughtfully. “We didn’t think it was that serious, Cynthia. Maybe you’ve been feeling down lately? You know, stressed? We thought a trip might help.”
Words caught in my throat, a surge of frustration nearly choking me. I swallowed hard, trying to shove the worry aside.
Noel’s voice cut through the tension. “We could all go. Avie could come too. We don’t want to..”
“Yali, Adrian interrupted with a grin. “I’ll make Avie happy, why not? Maybe Mina could tag along as well.”
For a moment, the words tangled in
throat, the diarp reminder of how distan ww grown echoing between us. But ad then, a strange calm settled over me
“Actually, I bought a camper van, replied, my voice steady. a road trip.”
Noel and Adrian exchanged glances, and to my surprise, their eyes lit up with enthusiasm.
“That sounds amazing!” Adrian said, leaning forward. “Avery would love it. We could get some supplies, make it a whole adventure.”
I smiled, but this time, it was for me. Let them have their trip, their perfect little setup. I’d already made my choice.
As they started planning, eagerly discussing how much fun Avery would have, I felt a weight lift.
