He Wished I’d Break Up With Him, So I Did—on My Way to the Airport chapter 03

Ethan started to chase after me, but his phone rang right away. Mia’s voice came through the line, laced with playfulness and grievance. She said a pipe had burst at her place, flooding the whole room, and she stood stranded in the water, scared and helpless.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Ethan turned and hurried off in the opposite direction. It never crossed his mind to wonder if I, in a city I barely knew, might be lost or afraid.

All his concern went to Mia, who chose to call him instead of a professional plumber.

I held back the stinging sadness and checked into a nearby hotel. Dropping onto the sofa, I started sorting through the paperwork for my overseas transfer.

From eleven in the morning until ten at night, not a single message or call came from Ethan.

Yet his social media likes kept piling up, all on new posts from Mia. One caption read, A true friend is harder to find than a lover. The photos showed Ethan soaked to the skin, kneeling in pooled water to fix the pipe, and another shot of him drying her hair carefully to keep her from catching a cold.

Commenters quickly picked up on the unspoken tension.

Do regular friends really do this for each other?

They’re clearly secretly in love, neither brave enough to admit it.

I knew exactly how that felt. I’d once called him with the same trouble. Back then, his tone held no worry, only irritation at being disturbed.

“Call a plumber. Do you expect me to rush over and fix it myself?”

“Chloe, you’re not a child. Learn to handle things properly.”

I used to blame myself for being troublesome. Now I understood — indifference was the root of his coldness.

It was midnight before Ethan finally remembered me. I was just about to sleep when his call came through.

“Where are you?”

“At a hotel.”

“You’re not coming back tonight?”

“No.”

“Mia’s place is ruined by the flood, so she’s staying over at my place.”

It was a statement, not a question. In the background, I could hear Mia moving around.

“This towel is so rough. I’d never use yours if I had another choice!”

“This t-shirt is way too big, it’s practically a dress on me.”

I stayed quiet, showing no displeasure or reaction. After a while, he noticed my silence.

“Are you upset? If you don’t want her here, I’ll book her a room right now.”

“It’s fine. Get some rest.”

Relieved by my reply, he spoke casually.

“Alright then.”

He hung up abruptly. He never asked if I was scared staying alone at the hotel, nor did he care that all my luggage and spare clothes were still at his apartment.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. I laughed at how foolish I’d been. Then I booked a flight for the next day.

Ethan, since you’re so eager to move on, I’ll grant your wish and leave sooner than you thought.