Chapter 4
He sounded so certain.
And I wanted so badly to believe that the boy who'd once promised to wait for me was still there.
So I unblocked his number and agreed to meet him at the airport.
I arrived at LAX nearly two hours early, texted Ethan my gate number, and waited.
When boarding began, I called twice. Both calls went to voicemail.
Ninety minutes passed. I kept looking up whenever someone hurried past, imagining Ethan running toward me with an apology.
Then my phone buzzed.
Madison had posted an Instagram Story. She and Ethan were sitting together on a plane, grinning beneath the caption: San Diego, here we come!
He'd promised to cancel. I'd believed him anyway.
I let out a laugh that sounded nothing like me.
Twelve years, and I still hadn't learned when to stop waiting.
When the gate agent called for the last passengers, I stood up.
Ethan could have his ocean. I was going to find my mountains.
At Mount Rainier, sunrise turned the snow pink and the valleys gold. I stood there longer than everyone else, taking it in.
By the descent, though, my legs were shaking so badly that every step felt dangerous.
"You're doing great!" a girl with curly hair called from the trail ahead. "I'm Sophie. And trust me, my knees are filing a complaint too."
Her older brother, Noah, stopped beside her. When I apologized for holding them up, he glanced at the path.
"I was hoping we'd take a break," he said.
Sophie promptly sat on a rock. "Thank God. He never admits he's tired."
They made me laugh, and neither of them checked their watches. On the steepest stretch, I told them they could go ahead. Noah simply picked up the backpack I'd set down while adjusting my shoe, and Sophie announced she wanted another photo of the view.
For once, I didn't have to beg anyone to stay.
Over dinner, I learned Sophie would be a freshman at the University of Washington, just like me. Noah was already a junior there.
"No way!" Sophie exclaimed. "You have to hang out with me on campus. My brother's boring."
"I'm sitting right here," Noah said.
In the weeks that followed, we met up for more hikes. I warned them eventually that I was slow at everything: walking, eating, choosing from a menu. I got lost easily, too.
"Perfect," Sophie said. "I love sleeping in, and Noah gets lost with GPS."
"I prefer scenic detours," he said.
They waited when I needed rest and never made a performance of it.
When Sophie noticed the eczema on my hands, she asked about my food triggers. After that, they checked menus with me instead of deciding what I should eat.
I wasn't used to kindness that didn't come with a complaint. With Ethan, even his thoughtful gestures had usually followed something cruel.
A compliment after a joke at my expense. A ride home after leaving me stranded. Sophie and Noah didn't seem to think their patience earned them anything.
Before we parted, Sophie and I requested each other as roommates. She hugged me hard enough to make me stumble.
Noah handed me a Band-Aid. "You've scraped your leg."
I glanced down at the tiny cut beside my old scar. "I didn't notice."
"I figured." His smile was gentle. "See you at UW, Alice. Don't leave me on read."
My cheeks warmed as Sophie groaned dramatically behind him.
Back home, I saw Madison's vacation photos and Ethan's occasional posts about little gifts he'd bought "for someone." For the first time, I felt nothing worth replying to.
A week before move-in, Ethan showed up with a suitcase.
"San Diego souvenirs," he announced, spreading bracelets, shells, and a stuffed dolphin across our living-room floor. "Pick what you want to bring to UCLA."
He was tanner, but his impatience hadn't changed.
"Hurry up. You take forever to pack. Dad's driving us to LA next week." He checked his phone. "Madison's sitting up front with me. You can take the back."
He gave me a teasing grin. "Unless you want to sit next to me. You could always ask nicely."
I remembered the ninety minutes I'd spent waiting at the airport, believing he'd show up.
For once, I felt a little mean. If he was so determined to treat me like the unwanted third wheel, maybe I'd play along.
"No, the back seat's fine," I said with a sweet smile. "Wouldn't want to get between you and your girlfriend."
Ethan's grin vanished.
"Madison isn't my girlfriend."
"Oh, right. My mistake." I shrugged. "I'll stay out of your way either way."
His face flushed. "Whatever, Alice. At least you finally know your place."
He stormed out, slamming the front door so hard the walls seemed to shake.
The suitcase full of gifts sat abandoned in the middle of my living room.
I packed his souvenirs back inside, then added every gift he'd given me over the years. Birthday cards. Bracelets. Little treasures I'd once refused to throw away.
The rabbit went in last.
Mom found me struggling with the zipper. She didn't ask what happened, just rested a hand on my shoulder.
"Are you sure?"
"I can't keep chasing him," I said. "And he shouldn't have to keep waiting for me."
She wrapped her arms around me. "Taking your time doesn't make you a burden, sweetheart. I'll always have time for you."
I cried against her shoulder, then asked her to return the suitcase when Ethan came by.
I left for Seattle the next morning.
At the airport, Noah texted: No rush when you land. Sophie's still packing like we're moving to another planet. We'll be there.
I smiled and replied, See you at UW.
The following morning, Ethan knocked on the Bennett family's front door.
After storming out, he'd spent a restless night deciding he'd been too harsh. Alice was softhearted. He figured a quick apology would smooth things over.
Mrs. Bennett opened the door.
"Morning," he said. "Is Alice ready? My dad can drive us to LA whenever she's packed."
She looked confused. "Alice left yesterday."
Ethan frowned. "What? UCLA move-in isn't until next week."
"She started early. Her school's orientation is coming up."
"Her school?" His stomach tightened. "What are you talking about?"
Mrs. Bennett studied him. "Ethan, she didn't tell you?"
He shook his head.
"Alice isn't going to UCLA."
"Then where is she?"
"University of Washington." she said.
