Part 3Graduation trip

Getting a last-minute flight to Wyoming in the summer is nearly impossible. Once Ryan canceled my ticket, there was no way I was getting another one. Even the bus tickets were selling out. Luckily, I used an app and paid a little extra to snag a seat to Denver. A nice one, too.

I’d just settled in when a text from him came through.

【Tatum, you’re taking the bus, right?】

【Winnie says even though it’s a long ride, like, two whole days, the scenery is amazing. You don’t get views like that from a plane. You totally lucked out!】

I scoffed and put my phone on silent. No reply.

To be honest, after he canceled my ticket, I thought about just going home. But after thinking it over, I decided to see it through. The trip wasn't just about him. It was something *I* wanted to do, a step in my own life plan. I wasn’t going to let him ruin it.

And stopping in Denver wasn’t a bad thing. I’d always wanted to see the city. This was the perfect chance.

Still. He knew it was a grueling 40-hour ride. And he just went ahead and canceled my flight without even asking. He used my money, my time, my first-time-traveling-alone nerves, all to give Winnie her perfect first flight experience.

Even though I knew I had to let him go, my chest still felt tight, a dull ache that wouldn't go away.

The comments flickered back into view.

【LOL, you gotta admit, the side character is obsessed. Even after getting ditched, she’s still chasing after him. Doesn’t even care that she has to take a detour through Denver first. Pathetic!】

【This is perfect! I was worried the romance would stall without the annoying side character there to stir things up. But look, she’s following the plot anyway. A few bumps in the road, but she’s still on her way. Awesome!】

【Does she have any self-respect? He dumps her over and over, and she just sticks to him like glue. This girl is the definition of a doormat, lmao!】

I glanced at the words and then looked away, out the window.