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“Yes,” I said, the word heavy and final.
Bree crossed her arms, glaring at them both. “Maybe now she’ll finally be free of you two.”
Savvy, who was twirling a lollipop in her mouth like a prize, looked between us with wide, innocent eyes, then turned to Harvey and Nicolas. “This is just so sad,” she murmured, clinging to Harvey’s arm.
“She’s really leaving?”
“Savvy,” Bree snapped, unable to hold back. “Maybe let Sabrina have a minute, instead of making everything about you?”
Savvy pouted, turning to Harvey and Nicolas with a wounded look. “I didn‘ t mean to make it about me. I was just worried about her.”
Bree let out a harsh laugh. “Oh, please.
The second she’s gone, you’ll forget she even existed.
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Harvey’s face hardened, his gaze shifting from Bree to me. “We don‘ t understand why you‘ re doing this, Sabrina. You could’ve stayed. We would‘ ve… figured it out together.”
“Don’t you mean all of you?” I asked, my voice edged with bitterness. “You three seem to get along just fine without me.”
Nicolas shook his head, stepping closer. “Sabrina, you know it’s not like that. Savvy’s just… a friend.”
“A friend?” Bree interjected, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You mean the one who’s constantly parading around, making sure Sabrina knows just how replaceable she is?”
Savvy‘ s cheeks flushed, and she leaned against Nicolas, feigning a hurt expression.
“It’s not my fault Sabrina feels left out. I’ve always tried to include her.”
Bree raised an eyebrow. “Like by calling
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9 Don’t bother
her about taking over the nursing home? Or mentioning how cozy you are with her so–called friends‘ families? Yeah, real inclusive.”
Harvey’s jaw clenched, his gaze flicking between us. “Enough,” he said, his voice low and tight. “This isn‘ t helping anyone.”
I took a steadying breath, forcing myself to look him in the eyes. “You know, I used to think you two actually cared about me. But it seems you re only interested in keeping me around when it’s convenient.”
“Sabrina,” Nicolas said softly, reaching out to touch my arm, but I pulled back, the gesture feeling hollow now.
Savvy piped up, her voice honeyed.
“Maybe you just need a break, Sabrina. Why don’t you come with us? We can go for coffee at your favorite place.”
I met her gaze, feeling a dull ache settle in my chest. “Funny. You don‘ t even know
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W poor bother
my favorite coffee order.”
Bree stepped forward, placing a protective arm around me. “Let’s go. Some people don‘ t deserve your time.”
Savvy s eyes narrowed as she sucked on her lollipop, her voice suddenly colder. “Suit yourself. We just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Watch yourself, Savvy, don’t you feel any shame?” Bree sneered.
Nicolas immediately stood in front of Savvy. “I know you‘ re used to being… crass and wild all the time but don‘ t speak to Savvy in such a manner.”
I could feel my temper start to simmer the moment I saw them leap to Savvy’s defense again. I didn’t have to say a word; it was always the same–Harvey and Nicolas, casting glances like I was the one stepping out of line, the one who didn’t know my place. Their unwavering loyalty to her was exhausting. Yet as Bree‘ s cat, Morticia,
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hissed at Savvy from his perch on the couch, Harvey’s foot nearly struck him. My reaction was immediate.
“Watch it!” I snapped, my voice louder than I intended, laced with the edge I could never quite soften around them anymore. They paused, only briefly, before rolling their eyes at me. It was always like this lately–a constant, tense power struggle that had me teetering between frustration. and resignation.
“You‘ re being ridiculous, Sabrina,” Harvey said, shaking his head, a patronizing smile spreading across his face. “You‘ re acting so… spoiled. After everything we’ve done for you, after all the love we’ve shown you…
“Don’t be mean to her.” Savvy interrupted, her voice dripping with that same sickly–sweet tone that always seemed to work on them. She tilted her head. flashing them a sympathetic smile.
“Sabrina’s just having a tough time.
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Right. Bring?”
The use of my nickname from her lips made my skin crawl, but before I could respond, both Harvey and Nicolas had already turned their full attention to her.
“We’re sorry, Savvy.” Nicolas said, his voice softening as he glanced over at her with genuine concern. “We didn
to upset you.
mean 111111
“Yeah, we’ll take it easy on her.” Harvey added, a hint of remorse in his tone.
Bree couldn’t help but scoff, the sound slipping out before she could stop myself. Of course, they d apologize to her. Of course, her comfort, her happiness, her peace of mind would take precedence. It always did.
Savvy threw a quick glance my way, the corner of her mouth lifting in a smirk only 1 could see.
Their words stung, piercing through the small fragments of trust I’d held on to
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But I’d long given up fighting back. It never seemed to make a difference, so I let them vent, their words washing over me like the tide, eroding yet another layer of whatever memory with them I was holding
onto.
I let their words hang in the air. Maybe it was better to keep quiet and let them say what they needed to say. They seemed to think that the love they‘ d shown me somehow justified everything that had followed. Maybe in their minds, I was ungrateful. But in mine, I had accepted it, swallowed every hurtful comment, and repaid them in silence. My silence was the only way I could pay off my debt, repay them for all those times they showed me love and protected me.
Our final dinner together was tense, the three of us barely speaking. Savvy, of course, filled the empty spaces with cheerful chatter, oblivious to the strained energy between us. I forced a smile, nodded where I had to, and let the silence
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work its way into the cracks between us.
When it was finally time for me to leave, Harvey and Nicolas insisted on driving me to the airport. I wanted to refuse, to save myself one last hour in the car with their pointed comments, but I didn’t want to make a scene. So, I sat in the back seat, keeping my face turned toward the cityscape blurring past.
Just as we pulled up to the terminal, my phone buzzed. It was my mother, Lena, calling to confirm my arrival time. I’d hardly hung up when I realized that Harvey had overheard.
“Who was that?” he asked, glancing back at me with suspicion.
“My mom,” I replied, my tone. indifferent.
They both stared at me, stunned, as if my answer had revealed something they d never considered before. Maybe they thought I had no one but them, that I
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couldn’t imagine a world outside of what we’d built. I felt their gaze, sharp with
accusation.
“Really, Sabrina?” Nicolas said finally, disbelief etched into his face. “You‘ re that cold now? We thought…” He trailed off, looking at Harvey, as if they were sharing some unspoken realization. “We thought we understood you better than this.”
I sighed. “Understood me?” I repeated, a bitter laugh escaping. “Then why do you feel the need to justify yourselves?”
Nicolas crossed his arms, his expression hardening. “You‘ re jealous, that’s what this is about. You don’t like that Savvy needs more attention right now. We know its hard, but we thought you‘ d understand.”
“Jealous?” I looked between the two of them, their faces lined with that same unwavering confidence, like they d analyzed me down to my last thought. It
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was exhausting. “I’m not jealous. I’m tired.”
The words hung in the air, weighted with the things I didn’t dare say out loud.
“Oh, come on,” Harvey scoffed, reaching for my bag and slinging it over his shoulder. “This is about that dog thing with Savvy, isn’t it? We saw the look in your face. Look, if it matters that much to you, we’ll get you one. Just stop being
such a brat about it.”
I shook my head, refusing to let the jab get under my skin. “It s fine. I don’t want anything from you. Let’s just get this over with.”
The terminal was busy, full of people who didn’t know me or the mess I was leaving behind. I felt a strange sort of calm wash over me as I watched them move, each of them on their way to something new, something different. I was about to be one
of them.
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Just as we reached the check–in counter, Savvy appeared beside us, her face falling.
“I’m sad we re not taking the same flight,” she said, her voice soft with a sadness I didn’t feel.
She wasn’t talking to me; her eyes were on Harvey and Nicolas, who immediately turned to comfort her, reassuring her that they’d be there as soon as they could. I slipped away from them, letting them focus on her, letting them fill the space between them in the way they always had.
And in that moment, something inside me finally settled. I took out my phone, blocked their numbers, and erased them from every contact list. By the time they turned back to me, all my goodbyes were already said.
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