He Took Her To Bali While I Buried My Parents Alone Chapter 02
Landon came back three days later.
At dinner, he pushed a box toward me and said it was a gift.
I opened it. A bookmark.
“Hey, did you and Tessa go to the same place?”
Mom leaned over.
“Tessa came by our house today too, and she gave Elise the exact same present.”
Landon’s hand froze over his fork, a flash of flustered panic.
But I didn’t even look up. I kept eating and said casually, “No worries. Getting two is fine.”
Cheapest bookmark. One or two, no difference.
Landon stared at me, mouth half open, but Mom kept talking.
“Anyway, you three have such deep ties. Going to the same college, and you and Elise are even in the same major-”
“Mom. Dad.”
Landon cut them off.
“I might change majors after freshman year.”
My heart felt like it got pricked by a needle, aching.
The Landon from ten years later had told me that every time he brought up switching majors, I would cry.
[She cries, then Mom and Dad lecture me and bring up what happened back then.]
[So all four years of college, I had to stay with her like a piece of gum I couldn’t scrape off.]
I pushed down that dull pain and this time, looked up with a smile.
“Sure.”
I looked Landon in the eye.
“I think you should go with what you like best.”
The air went dead silent.
Landon’s parents had their words stuck in their throats. And Landon… didn’t look as happy as I expected.
He got all dark-faced. As soon as dinner ended, he pulled me into my room and asked, “What was that about at dinner?”
I looked at him, confused.
“Exactly what I said.”
“If you don’t like it, switch anytime. I’m not going to cling to you.” I told him seriously.
“Elise, you-” Landon frowned, his face turning even uglier.
“What’s actually bothering you?”
The old me would never be this polite and distant to him like a stranger.
“Just say it. Don’t hide it. I can’t read your mind.” Landon looked down at me with a faint helplessness in his eyes.
“Can’t you be more straightforward? Like… like Tessa?”
I dug my fingers into my palms so hard they almost drew blood.
And just then, Tessa’s call came through.
“Hey, Landon! My faucet won’t tighten no matter what I do. Get your hot butt over here!”
Her loud, carefree voice carried through. Landon didn’t hesitate. He turned and walked out.
I watched his back and suddenly remembered last week.
Last week, while his parents were away on a work trip, I was cooking at home and sliced my finger with a chef’s knife. Blood pooled all over the cutting board.
Back then, all I wanted was for Landon to grab me a Band-Aid.
But he said, “You’re an adult now. You need to learn to be independent. You can’t rely on me for everything.”
Later, I walked to the nearby urgent care by myself, hand drenched in blood. He never showed up, even after I got bandaged.
But Tessa just needed one phone call, and he came running.
I was lost in thought. Ten minutes later, I scrolled to Tessa’s post.
[A man who works hard is the sexiest thing.]
The photo showed Landon squatting in the corner of her bathroom, holding a wrench.
[Ooh, something going on, Tessa? Is that your boyfriend?]
Someone commented. Tessa shot back immediately, “Shut up! That’s my best friend’s man. Don’t even go there.”
I watched her cover-up act with a bitter smile. Then I messaged the future Landon.
[If the clingy person had let you two be together from the start, would you be happy now?]
This time, he didn’t reply right away.
He was quiet for so long I started to think he’d disappeared. Then the message popped up.
[Happy? Not really. But at least I wouldn’t feel guilty.]
[Because then she probably wouldn’t be dead right now.]