You Three Can Have Your Happy-Ever-After

On my birthday, my boyfriend Heath Merrick sent me a transfer of 200 dollars, same as always. The note read: [Birthday gift for Macy. Too busy lately, so I won't be around to celebrate with you.] A second later, I saw a message my best friend, Kyra Donnelly, had accidentally sent to our four-person group chat. [Fourth birthday we've spent together! Thank you, Brody and Heath, for the gifts!] The photo attached was a cake topper, a miniature figurine made of two ounces of solid gold. Less than a minute after the message appeared, my brother, Brody Lawton and also the group admin, deleted it for her. He tried to cover it up by flooding the chat with a string of GIFs, then casually typed a new message as if nothing had happened. [It's Kyra's and Macy's birthday today. Let's go eat at Sorelli's? Kyra's been wanting to try their food for ages, and I just managed to snag a reservation.] Before I could even respond, my boyfriend and my best friend had already sent back thumbs-up stickers in perfect sync. I quietly deleted the half-typed message that read: [Their food is too spicy for me.] I sent a thumbs-up sticker of my own. The front door opened, and all three of them appeared in the doorway together. Brody rushed me. "Hurry up, everyone's waiting for you!" Heath frowned. "Stop dawdling. We'll lose the reservation." No one mentioned the message Kyra had accidentally posted. I looked at the three of them, at how naturally my brother and my boyfriend stood on either side of Kyra. One of them was weighed down with shopping bags full of clothes she had bought. The other had both hands full of her snacks and drinks. The whole thing suddenly felt completely pointless. I unlocked my phone and sent a message to my advisor: [Professor, I've decided to accept the exchange program abroad.] Chapter 1 I changed as fast as I could and rushed out. The three of them had already gone downstairs. By the time I jogged over and caught up to them, Brody Lawton was already impatient. "What a diva. Three of us were waiting for you, and you don't even feel bad about it?" Heath Merrick chimed in, "Kyra's been out shopping all day. She's exhausted, but she still insisted we come back to get you so we could all go together." "Of course! All four of us have to be there!" Kyra Donnelly looped her arm through mine, grinning from ear to ear. I glanced down at my shoelace, which I had not had time to tie properly. If Kyra had not accidentally sent that message, they would not have come back for me at all. By the time I finished tying my shoe and stood up, the three of them were already far ahead. Heath and Brody flanked Kyra on either side like two knights escorting a princess. The sight stung. Ever since I introduced Kyra to them, I had slowly been pushed to the edge of our little group of four. On our graduation trip, the three of them went into the ocean with Kyra to hunt for shells while I stood on the shore with a fever, holding the camera to document everything for them. When Kyra got a headache, both of them immediately abandoned me in the middle of a severe allergic reaction and rushed to her side. Once, a sudden downpour hit, and they instinctively drove to pick Kyra up, leaving me stranded at school and completely forgotten. "Macy, there's no room in the car." Brody's voice cut through my thoughts. Heath shoved the shopping bags into the back seat. "Kyra's got too much stuff. There's only room for one person back there. Just get a ride. I'll pay you back." I glanced inside. It was packed, but if they squeezed, I could have fit. "It's fine, I'm small enough to..." I started to say. A notification chimed on my phone. Ten dollars had been transferred into my account. The car door shut at the same time. A wave of hot air hit my face and dried the sweat instantly. I stared at the ten dollars Heath had sent, then opened a rideshare app. Under the scorching sun, sweat dripped down my forehead while I waited. The car took forever to arrive. By the time I stumbled into Sorelli's, drenched and disheveled, the three of them were already seated. All the dishes had been served. "Macy, you're the last one to arrive again." Brody frowned. "Try to be faster next time. Everyone's always waiting for you," Heath added, clearly annoyed. "Don't worry about it. Mace is here now. That's all that matters!" Kyra pulled me into the seat beside her with a playful grin. All three of them had chosen the inner seats, so I was stuck on the outside, right next to the door. At the table, Heath loaded Kyra's plate for her while Brody poured her orange juice. Brody said something I did not catch, and all three of them burst out laughing. Watching how effortlessly happy they looked together, it hit me that I had stopped being part of this group a long time ago. As if he had only just noticed I was there, Heath dropped a piece of beef onto my plate. "Here. Your favorite." I looked down at the beef that was smothered in pepper. Something sharp twisted in my chest. "Heath, I can't eat spicy food." The last time I ate something spicy, I ended up in the hospital with acute gastritis and was hooked up to an IV for three straight days. Heath and Brody both felt terrible about it at the time and swore they would never let me touch anything spicy again. A flash of embarrassment crossed Heath's face. Brody slid a glass of water toward me. "You're so dramatic. Just have some water with it." I ignored him and helped myself to some vegetables instead. After dinner, Kyra insisted on going to see a movie, but my stomach suddenly seized with a sharp, twisting pain. "Heath, Brody, my stomach really hurts. Can you take me to the hospital first?" Heath pressed his hand to my forehead. "You don't have a fever. It's probably just the spice not sitting well." "Just ignore her. She's always making a fuss." Brody waved it off. "She's definitely still mad we didn't give her a ride." "No, I really..." The pain was so bad that sweat was pouring down my face. I could barely get the words out. Heath patted my head. "If it's that bad, just go home and rest. We'll all go together next time." I watched the three of them walk away shoulder to shoulder, their backs growing smaller. My legs finally gave out, and everything went black. Chapter 2 When I woke up again, I was in the hospital. The pain in my stomach had not eased at all. The doctor took one look at me and turned serious. "Young lady, you have acute appendicitis. You need surgery immediately. Get a family member here to sign the consent form." My parents had died in a car accident when I was little. The only family I had left were Brody and Heath. I pulled out my phone and called Brody, but he did not answer. My fingers trembled as I dialed Heath's number next. "Heath, I have acute appendicitis. I need a family member to sign off on the surgery." Through the phone, I could hear Heath and Kyra laughing and playing around in the background. "Heath, there's a Best Boyfriend contest over there. Come do it with me!" The pain in my chest sharpened. "Heath!" Brody's voice came through. "Heath and Kyra are having fun. Don't bother them. It's a minor surgery. Just sign for it yourself." Before I could say another word, the line went dead. Brody had hung up. My heart sank. My tears started to drop onto the hospital sheet. The doctor quickly tried to comfort me, saying, "It's okay, sweetheart. You can sign for yourself." I lay back down, but the tears only came faster. I closed my eyes, and an image of Heath at 18 appeared in my mind. He was standing at my front door, confessing his feelings for me right in front of Brody. "Macy, let's be together. I'll be your family. I'll be good to you for the rest of my life and never let anyone hurt you." Brody stood beside us, laughing. "Just say yes. I'm right here. He wouldn't dare treat you badly." I had believed that having Heath meant gaining one more person who loved me, but everything soon changed. Heath always said Kyra had grown up in foster care, so compared to me, someone who had a brother, she was far more alone and in need of looking after. Brody felt the same way. He thought I had enjoyed years of his care and protection, so it was only fair for me to step aside for Kyra. I wiped my tears and sent Heath a message: [Let's break up.] His reply came fast. [Macy, stop throwing a tantrum. I'll take you to the movie theater next time. Is your stomach feeling better?] I did not reply. Instead, I sent a message to my advisor: [Professor, I want to leave for the program as soon as possible.] Three hours later, the surgery was over. I woke up and turned on my phone to find my advisor had already responded. [The earliest you can leave is in three days.] After I replied, my phone buzzed nonstop. Kyra had flooded the group chat with photos of the three of them. Some were from the movie theater, posing in front of the poster. Some were at the arcade, holding armfuls of stuffed animals and pulling goofy faces. And then there was one of Heath carrying Kyra in his arms, trophy in hand, after winning the Best Boyfriend contest. After the photos, Kyra sent another message to the group. [Mace, I won so many stuffed animals! I'll give them all to you when we get back!] I scoffed as I typed back: [No need. I'm at the hospital. If you're all done having fun, maybe swing by and visit me.] Late that night, Heath called. "Macy, I just found out you were admitted. You need to be more careful about what you eat. The three of us will come see you tomorrow. We'll bring you some clean clothes." I gave a flat hum and hung up. … The next day, Heath and Brody showed up at the hospital with Kyra in tow. Kyra handed me a bag with an apologetic smile. "Mace, we got back too late last night, so we didn't go home. There's some of my clothes in there. You can wear them for now. We're about the same size anyway." "No, thanks." I caught my breath, a thin ache spreading through my chest. "I don't wear other people's undergarments." Brody's brow furrowed instantly. "Kyra went out of her way to bring you clothes, and this is your attitude? Macy, apologize to Kyra." My eyes stung. I looked at Heath. Heath nodded. "He's right. That was rude." Yet it had been Heath who used to remind me over and over that I should never share undergarments with anyone. I had listened. And now they were glaring at me for following the exact rule he had drilled into me, all because it was Kyra on the other side. "Hey! Don't be mean to Mace, or I'm going to get mad!" Kyra put her hands on her hips and pretended to scold them. The two of them exchanged a look, and their expressions softened immediately. Heath smiled. "Okay, okay. We won't be hard on Macy anymore." Brody was quick to smooth things over too. "Don't be upset, Kyra. Didn't you want to go get birthday portraits taken? We'll take you after this." The three of them started discussing which studio had the best photos, already forgetting I was there. The entire room was filled with their laughter. I turned my head away and pretended I did not see how happy the three of them were. On his way out, Heath came over and patted my head. "Macy, get some rest. We'll come back and see you tomorrow." I pulled away from his hand and buried myself under the covers. Chapter 3 The next day, they never showed up. I had to go for my checkup alone. While I was waiting in line, an old man shouldered his way in front of me. The impact knocked me sideways, and I nearly fell. I could not help speaking up. "Sir, there's a line." The old man shoved me hard. "I'm not cutting in! Don't go around accusing people, young lady!" Before I could react, his elbow slammed into me. I hit the ground. My surgical wound tightened with pain, and cold sweat broke out across my forehead. Then I spotted Heath and Brody nearby, walking over with Kyra. "Heath! Brody!" I was flat on the floor, calling out to them with everything I had. Heath and Brody ran over and helped me to my feet. A small wave of relief washed through me, but then Kyra gasped. "Mr. Kelton? Oh my God, are you okay?" Heath's voice followed immediately. "Macy, apologize to him." I froze. It felt like the floor had dropped out from under me. "You want me to apologize? Didn't you see him shoving me just now?" Brody frowned. "He's an old man, and Kyra knows him. Why are you making a big deal out of it? Mace, you were the one being disrespectful. We all saw it." Kyra walked over to the old man and steadied him. "Mr. Kelton is my neighbor. He's a really nice person. There's no way he'd bully you. Just apologize. Don't make things difficult for Heath and Brody." I looked at the three of them, so perfectly in sync, and felt like I was staring at strangers. I took a step back, putting distance between us. "If you're all blind, that's your problem. I will never apologize to someone who hurt me." I turned and walked toward the exam room, fighting through the pain with every step. Behind me, I could hear other patients talking. "Poor girl. She's sick, and she still has to deal with some jerk cutting in line." "Are those people her friends? How could they take the other guy's side?" The unfairness of it all swelled in my throat until I could barely breathe. I wiped my tears and did not look back. … On the way back from the checkup, my body was suddenly lifted off the ground. It was Heath. He had picked me up. He set me down on the hospital bed carefully. "Were you hurt back there? Just stay away from people like that from now on." The same patronizing tone as always. I stared at him and could not hold it in. "That's not the point. If that old man wasn't someone Kyra knew, would you still be saying this?" Heath frowned. "It's just an apology. And he's an old man. Is it really that big of a deal?" I stared at him. "So because he's someone Kyra knows, I don't matter?" Heath stood up, his expression cold. We faced each other in silence. The attending doctor walked into the room, followed by Brody and Kyra. Brody tried to smooth things over. "Macy, let the doctor take a look first and make sure you're not hurt." They had just thrown me under the bus, and now they wanted to play concerned. It turned my stomach. I pointed at the door. "I'm fine. You can all leave." Brody opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he left with Heath and Kyra. That evening, I pulled up social media. The first thing I saw was a photo of Kyra with Heath and Brody. In the photo, Kyra wore a wedding gown while Heath and Brody stood beside her in suits, flanking her like a prince and a knight. The caption read: [Got my husband and my big brother. Life is perfect!] Kyra was a minor influencer online. The comments had already blown past 9,999. I opened them with trembling hands. Every last one was gushing praise and congratulations. I remembered what Heath had once told me. "Macy, Brody and I are your prince and your knight. When we get married, the three of us are going to take a photo together. We'll protect you for the rest of our lives." Now, the photo had been taken, but the girl in the center was not me. It was my best friend, Kyra. The irony was suffocating. I stared at the photo until my chest ached so badly I thought something inside me might break. I was shaking with anger. I found one of the top comments and typed a reply underneath it: [But that's my boyfriend and my brother!] Chapter 4 An hour later, my phone rang. Heath was furious. "Macy Lawton, you've gone too far! Why would you post something like that on Kyra's account? She tried to kill herself!" A photo came through right after. I stared at the image of Kyra, her face white as a sheet. There was a deep gash on her wrist. I could not move. Then Brody's voice came through, ice-cold. "Macy, no one in this family would do something that cruel. Go clear it up right now. Tell everyone you were jealous of Kyra and that you made the whole thing up." My hand was shaking so badly I could barely hold the phone. I was furious at Heath and Brody for giving Kyra all their love and attention. However, Kyra and I had been friends once, and I had never wanted her dead. I said, my voice raw. "Brody, I'll go clear it up now." Less than a minute after I hung up, I deleted the comment. Then I posted an apology in the replies. [I'm sorry. I want to publicly apologize to Kyra Donnelly for my earlier remarks. I was acting out of jealousy. Nothing I said was true. Please stop attacking Kyra.] It set off a firestorm. My social media was overrun in seconds. Kyra's followers flooded my inbox with hate. They called me in the middle of the night to threaten me. Someone even found my home address and threw paint on the door, spray-painting the words 'go die' across it. All I could do was hide inside, too afraid to step out. I spent night after night unable to sleep, falling apart. When Heath called, I thought things were finally turning around. However, there was no comfort in his voice. He spoke about it like it was nothing. "Just ignore them. It'll blow over. You were the one who drove Kyra to attempt suicide. She's fine now, but you still deserve what you're getting." I froze. I did not say a single word. I just hung up. At least I could leave for the program tomorrow. I just had to get through one more day. … The next morning, I packed my bags early and got ready to leave. I had barely reached the front door when I heard Kyra's voice, dripping with self-satisfaction. "Heath, Brody, I told you Macy wouldn't let me take the heat. See? All we had to do was send one fake photo and the whole thing blew over." Heath chuckled. "Our Kyra really is the smart one. But Macy took a pretty big hit from all of this too." His gaze shifted to Brody. A flicker of guilt crossed Brody's face. "When Macy gets back, we'll make it up to her." The words hit me like a bolt of lightning. I staggered back several steps. Everything I had been put through, every insult, every threat, had all been orchestrated. Kyra had never been hurt at all. They were even congratulating her for being clever. So what about everything I had suffered? I threw the door open, stormed toward Heath, and slapped him across the face. "Why did you lie to me? Do you have any idea how much abuse I took because of this? Do you know how many nights I cried myself to sleep? Watching me get played like a fool, falling all over myself to apologize to Kyra. You all must have loved that." All three of them stared at me in shock. Heath's expression darkened. "Kyra got attacked online because of your comment too. What you went through was deserved. Consider us even." I looked at Brody. He nodded. "Macy, you took things too far. Kyra isn't like you. She grew up in foster care. You at least have Heath and me." "Mace." Kyra grabbed my arm, her face a picture of wounded innocence. "That photo was just me wanting to know what it felt like to be loved by someone. I was going to take it down in a couple of days. Please don't be mad at me. Okay?" "No. We're done being friends." I pulled my arm free, grabbed my suitcase, and walked out the front door. Heath's voice erupted behind me. "Macy Lawton, where do you think you're going? If you walk out that door today, don't ever come back!" I did not slow down. I walked out of the home I had lived in for 22 years. Behind me, Brody's voice followed. "Don't worry. She'll be back. Without us, she's got nowhere to go." I let out a bitter, hollow smile. Brody was dead wrong. It was not that I had no home. It was that he and Heath had destroyed it. … The plane cut through the clouds, and everything from before fell away below me. I was never coming back.