“You’re free to go.”
They stood up slowly like it hadn’t fully registered, like they were expecting some last minute twist, a hug, a laugh, a just kidding.
But there wasn’t one.
They filed out.
Some murmured goodbyes.
Others avoided my eyes.
Elise was the last.
She paused in the doorway.
“You’ll regret this one day.”
I met her stare calm and unflinching.
“No, I’ll regret waiting this long.”
She left.
I closed the door, locked it again.
Mark turned to me.
“You really mean it?”
I nodded.
“Yeah.”
He exhaled slowly.
“So what now?”
I looked around the quiet house.
“Now,” I said, “we start over with less noise.”
That evening, we opened a bottle of wine, talked like brothers, laughed, planned a trip, just the two of us.
No matching shirts, no group chats, no hidden strings, just peace.
A week later, I got one more message from Rachel.
“I left the group chat. Proud of you.”
I smiled, finally feeling something I hadn’t felt in years.
Free.
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Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction created for entertainment purposes. Any resemblance to real persons, events, or places is coincidental.