The Flight He Never Caught

Because he was worried the scholarship girl couldn't afford the holiday flights, Roman changed his college application from our dream outofstate university to a local state college.

I found out two hours before the portal closed. Sydney watched me, her voice tentative. "Willow, the deadline hasn't hit yet.

You still have time to switch yours." I stared at the glowing screen, my eyes tracing the photo of me and Roman. A hollow ache expanded in my chest. I shook my head. "No.

Let it be." Chapter 1 Sydney stared at me for a long moment, searching my face for any sign of bluffing.

When she realized I was dead serious about leaving, she immediately shifted gears, her eyes lighting up as she started hyping up our future dorm life.

The keypad on the front door beeped, and the lock clicked open.

Roman strolled in, with Riley shadowing his steps. "Willow, you locked in your college decision yet?" Roman asked, tossing his keys on the counter. "I kept telling Riley that with our grades, the local state college is the only real option.

But she was stressing.

Insisted we come check on you." He shot the girl beside him a fond, exasperated look. "She cares about you more than I do." Deciding to walk away from Roman flipped a switch in my brain.

Seeing them act all cozy didn't make my chest ache with that familiar jealousy anymore. I just felt… nothing. I gave a sharp nod. "Applications are locked in.

What are you two doing here?" Roman frowned, his jaw tightening at my tone. "Willow, what's with the attitude?" Riley peeked at him through her lashes, ducking her head like a scolded puppy. "Willow… you know my family struggles.

Going out of state is just too far. I can't afford the flights back and forth.

My SAT scores were just average anyway, so staying local makes sense." She paused, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Roman only switched his choice at the last minute because of me.

He was helping me pick my major. That's why he just called instead of rushing over.

Please don't be mad at him." I listened to her classic pickme monologue—a red flag disguised as an apology. I kept my face blank. "You knew all of that months ago.

Why wait until the deadline to say anything?" Riley flinched like I’d struck her. "No, it's not like that! Roman and I talked about this ages ago.

We just finalized it today." Ages ago. My lungs seized, and the air thinned out in the room.

While I was obsessing over our outofstate dream life, he was secretly building a future with Riley. My silence stretched.

Riley’s whimpers grew louder, playing the ultimate victim card. Roman let out a harsh breath, stepping between us. "Enough, Willow. I told you before I hit submit, didn't I?

Why are you giving her such a hard time over this?" The ice in his voice snapped me out of it.

I studied his sharp jawline, the familiar curve of his lips, before looking away. "I'm not mad. Just curious about the sudden pivot." Now I knew.

And the invisible cord tying me to him finally snapped. After my dad passed, my mom moved across the country for work. It was just me and my grandma holding down the fort.

Ryder and his crew picked up on my vulnerability pretty fast, making my life hell. Trashing my locker, letting the air out of my bike tires after the final bell.

I swallowed the tears, hiding the bruises so my grandma wouldn't stress. That was when Roman crashed into my orbit.

He pinned Ryder against the bleachers and beat the crap out of him. Then he dragged my busted bike to the shop and paid for the repairs.

For a girl who had lost her father and felt entirely alone, he wasn't just a friend; he became my absolute anchor and protector. I became his shadow after that.

We rode the bus together, did homework on his porch, and survived the long high school years side by side. We made a pact to escape this town, to go out of state.

To finally cross the line from friends to something more once we hit college. Chapter 2 That was until Riley showed up a year ago.

She was the underprivileged scholarship kid Roman’s mom had taken in.

Her rural high school had sucked, so she had transferred to our district for senior year and moved into Roman’s house. At first, Roman treated her like a ghost haunting his house.

He kept his walls high, barely acknowledging her existence whether they were passing in the hallways or sitting across from each other at his own dinner table.

But Riley tiptoed around him anyway, walking on eggshells. She catered to his moods, terrified of stepping on a landmine.

Seeing her cower like that was like looking in a mirror at my own miserable, isolated past. When Roman iced her out, I stepped in to bridge the gap.

I’d even nudge him to cut her some slack. He never budged. Until we caught her in an empty classroom after the bell.

She hunched over an algebra worksheet, tears splashing onto the paper in silent waves. I watched Roman’s mask slip. Pity. Guilt.

Looking back, there was a raw, unmistakable ache in his eyes. The ice thawed after that. He started ditching our bus rides so he could stay behind and tutor her.

When Riley complained about her lab partner, he swapped desks to shield her.

Then came the afternoon phone call where he tanked his outofstate application to stay local with Riley. A dull ache throbbed behind my ribs.

But then, the tight knot in my chest finally unspooled. The other shoe had dropped. Back in my living room, he didn't even bother asking where I ended up applying.

He just turned his back and walked out with Riley in tow. Sydney and I hit the senior dinner late. Roman and Riley were already holding court.

I scanned the crowded room and dropped into a booth as far from Roman as physically possible. I missed the sharp pinch of confusion darkening his gaze when he looked my way.

Jordan slid his drink across the table, barking a laugh. "Willow, why are you sitting in a different zip code?

Better step up, or Roman’s gonna get snatched." The unspoken name hung thick in the air. Riley’s cheeks flooded with crimson. She peeked up at Roman from under her lashes.

Blake caught the sudden dip in room temperature and jumped in. "Shut up, man.

Roman and Willow are solid." Our class president clapped Jordan’s shoulder. "They’re heading out of state together.

Right, Willow?" Riley beat me to the punch. "Roman isn't going out of state." She lifted her chin, a smug, victorious glint flashing in her eyes. "He knew I couldn't afford the cost of living out there.

He stayed local for me." The chatter died instantly. Jordan swiveled toward me, his brows knit. "Willow, is that true?

You aren't pissed?" I held Riley’s triumphant stare, leaning back and swirling the ice in my glass. "Why would I be? People make their choices." Roman chose Riley.

And I chose my ticket out. I slipped out to the restroom. When I navigated back through the crowd, the seating chart had rearranged.

Roman and Riley were planted right beside my empty chair. Roman's face was flushed from the alcohol. He watched me approach, his eyes bright under the dim lights.

As I slid into my seat, he closed the gap. I could smell the alcohol on his breath, mixed with his usual scent.

He dipped his head, his warm breath grazing the shell of my ear. "Willow," he murmured, his voice thick and rough. "I know you're still pissed about the portal.

But you know her situation. If we went out of state, she'd be stranded there for the holidays." "She can't afford the flights.

Staying local means she can actually see her family." His jaw hovered inches from my cheek. "She’s timid.

Too fragile to handle that kind of distance alone." Chapter 3 "You wouldn't have the heart to leave her stranded here alone either, right? Riley brought it up actually.

If you still want that outofstate vibe, we can hit up Miami in a few days. Just… let it go, okay?" I pushed his head away as he leaned in too close.

I took a slow sip of my ice water and leveled him with a deadpan stare. "I told you. I'm not mad. Besides, didn't you just say Riley can barely afford groceries?

How is she funding a Miami vacation?" Crash. The glass slipped from Riley's hand, shattering across the restaurant floor.

She chewed her bottom lip, her eyes swimming with tears. "Willow, I know you come from money.

I know you look down on me." She wrapped her arms around herself. "I borrowed the cash from Roman. I'm going to pay him back every single cent.

Are rich kids the only ones allowed to actually live a little? Are the rest of us just supposed to accept our fate and slave away for minimum wage?" The room buzzed with whispers.

Jordan leaned back, muttering, "Willow’s being kind of a mean girl right now. Right? Like, she's smart, but that attitude is a major red flag.

If I were Roman, I wouldn't pick her either." Tears spilled down Riley's cheeks. Roman's gaze gradually frosted over. "Willow.

Apologize to her." Sydney slammed her palms on the table. "Are you kidding me?

She's the one constantly playing the poverty card!" She glared at Roman. "Willow literally just asked a logical question. Why should she apologize?" "It's a threemonth summer.

She could easily pick up a shift somewhere to save up. Instead, she's not working, she's not helping her family.

She’s just leeching off you, tagging along to every party, and borrowing cash for the beach.

Who else are we supposed to call out?" Riley sobbed louder, burying her face in her hands.

I stared at the pathetic, manufactured drama unfolding in front of me, and a wave of absolute exhaustion hit me right in the marrow.

I didn't have the energy to play my assigned role in her little victim narrative anymore. I grabbed Sydney's arm and stood up.

Roman lunged, his hand clamping around my wrist like a vice. His grip bruised. "Willow. Apologize to Riley. Or you're cut from the trip." My wrist throbbed from his tight grip.

A sharp pinch of pain shot up my arm. I looked down at his white knuckles. Methodically, I pried his fingers off my skin, one by one. I let out a dry, razorsharp laugh. "Roman.

You and Riley can go wherever the hell you want. Do whatever the hell you want. I have zero interest in playing a part in your twisted little dynamic.

Lose my number." I turned my back and walked out. I left him standing there, his face completely shadowed in the dim lights. Later that night, Riley posted a story on Instagram.

A closeup shot of two hands, fingers tightly laced together.

The caption read: "Meeting the best version of you, in the best years of our lives." I stared at the screen, not feeling much of anything.

I went back to folding my clothes, packing my bags to spend the summer with my mom, Diana, across the country. My phone buzzed with a barrage of texts. All from Roman.

Roman: "Riley and I are locking in the Miami tickets. If you apologize right now, you can still get a seat." Roman: "There is nothing going on between me and Riley.

She just posted that to thank my family for taking her in all these years." Roman: "Willow, I seriously don't get you. Our families are both here.

What is so wrong with staying local for college? You already changed your application portal anyway.

Why are you dragging out this pointless tantrum?" I frowned at the glowing text bubbles. I hit the power button and went back to packing, not typing a single word back.

Chapter 4 Roman planned out every aspect of Riley's life. But he ignored mine. My dad was gone. My mom, Diana, ran her company down south.

My grandma, Eleanor, had failing joints that couldn't survive another brutal winter. She needed the coastal heat.

Staying trapped in this freezing local zip code was never an option for me. The flight out of state was exhausting. I dragged my suitcase through Diana's front door and froze.

A guy lounged on the sofa. Tall, sharpjawed, with eyes like cracked ice. He stood up, and I caught a faint, clean trace of cedar that somehow cut right through the sweltering heat.

Large, welldefined hands smoothly gripped the handle of my suitcase. "Willow. Remember me? I'm Carter." Carter. The son of my mom's best friend, Carol.

He was two years older, a junior finance major at Southern U. He heard I applied there, so he volunteered to play tour guide. For two solid weeks, Roman ghosted my inbox.

Instead, he spammed his Instagram stories with sundrenched beach selfies with Riley. I didn't care.

I spent those weeks riding shotgun with Carter, mapping out every inch of Southern U's campus. Once the official acceptance letters dropped, I booked a flight back to my hometown.

I only returned to pack up my room and finalize the sale of our condo. Diana didn't want me handling the heavy lifting alone, so she flew Carter back with me.

We were just walking into the neighborhood when we bumped into Shannon. Roman's mom balanced a massive tote of groceries on her hip.

She instantly corralled Carter and me into coming over for lunch. She wouldn't take no for an answer.

And once she casually dropped that Roman and Riley were out for the day, I finally caved.

Shannon chopped vegetables at the island, venting her absolute frustration. "Willow, that boy is going to put me in an early grave." "He went behind my back and swapped his college portal.

I didn't even know he stayed local until the physical acceptance letter hit the mailbox." Shannon slammed the knife into the cutting board. "Thank God he said you switched your portal too, or I would've actually killed him.

You have to keep a tight leash on him on campus for me, okay?" Shannon practically helped raise me.

When the fevers hit during my childhood, she was the one pressing cold towels to my forehead. My sneakers glued to the linoleum. The oxygen vanished from my lungs.

I forced the words past the sandpaper in my throat. "Shannon… I didn't change my portal. I'm going out of state." The kitchen went silent. She didn't press.

She just swallowed hard, patting my hand, and told me to study hard and take care of my mom and grandma. Carter, Shannon, and I ate the rest of our meal quietly.

I hugged her goodbye, then walked back up to my floor to drown myself in cardboard boxes. Diana had already locked in the buyers.

Timothy and his wife were desperate for a house in this school district for their kid. If the afternoon walkthrough went smoothly, the ink would dry on the contract today.

I led Timothy out to the balcony, pointing out the view. A harsh, jagged voice ripped through the apartment. "Who the hell are you?

What are you doing in Willow's house?" I spun around. Roman stood in my doorway, his posture rigid. He stared defensively at Carter.

I let out a flat, exhausted breath and stepped between them. "Roman. This is Carter.

My mom's best friend's son." I gestured to the doorway. "Carter, this is my high school classmate, Roman. He lives upstairs." The classmate label hit Roman like a physical blow.

The shadows over his face deepened into something dangerous. He opened his mouth, his jaw tight. A wet, trembling voice shattered the tension. "Roman… did you ask her?" Riley.

She hovered in the hallway shadows. Her lips trembled. Her eyes were red and swollen, a clear sign that she had been crying. Roman’s features twisted.

A dark, ugly storm brewed behind his eyes. "Willow," he gritted out, his voice practically vibrating with suppressed rage. "Did you go to my house for lunch today?" I held his furious stare.

I gave a single, slow nod. "Bumped into your mom carrying groceries.

I ate lunch there." Chapter 5 The second the words left my mouth, Riley’s tears spilled over, tracking fast down her cheeks.

Roman's brows slammed together. "Willow, what the hell did you say to my mom at lunch?" he demanded. "She just snapped.

She iced Riley out completely and told her to pack her bags and move out before the semester starts." "Changing the college portal was my call," he bit out. "If you're pissed, take it out on me.

Stop making Riley your punching bag." "You need to go back in there and fix this with my mom right now.

Or else you can figure out how to move into your dorm completely alone." I had a contract to sign with Timothy. I didn't have the bandwidth for Roman's toxic spiral.

I gave him a flat stare. "Fine." Roman physically recoiled. It took a second for the sheer deadness in my voice to register.

The color drained from his face. "Willow, what the hell is that supposed to mean?" I held his gaze for one long, dead second. I didn't owe him another word.

I slammed the door in his face. The apartment felt hollow. Timothy and his wife had bought it fully furnished. Most of my clothes were already bagged up for donations.

All I really had left were my essential documents, some loose polaroids, and a rusted tin box. It held every birthday present Roman had ever given me.

A decade of memories, from seven to seventeen. Crooked origami cranes he folded in middle school. A cheap pearl bracelet he blew his allowance on.

A braided goodluck charm from a road trip. Except for my eighteenth birthday. That year, the box stayed empty. It was a Saturday.

I was holed up in Roman's living room, surrounded by AP prep books. The dynamic between us had already started to rot.

He had spent the entire afternoon hunched over Riley's AP Calculus problem set, barely speaking to me.

A tight knot of humiliation formed in my throat, but I refused to let Riley see me sweat. I dragged out my exit.

Finally, holding my backpack strap like a lifeline, I mumbled, "Roman… it's my birthday today." Guilt flashed across his features.

He instantly scrambled up, promising to run to the mall. Riley immediately caught his sleeve. "Roman, wait. I still don't get this problem.

Can you walk me through it one more time?" Roman looked at me standing in the doorway, then down at Riley clutching his shirt.

The hesitation was brief, but it severed something vital. "Willow, just head home and wait for me," he sighed. "I'll swing by your place the second we finish this worksheet." I sat by my bedroom window that entire evening, watching the streetlights flicker on against the dark.

The clock slowly ticked past midnight, mocking my naive hope. He never showed. When I saw him at the lockers the next morning, his hands were empty.

He just leaned against the metal, his brow furrowed. "Willow, you know what I found out last night?" he murmured, his voice dripping with misplaced sympathy. "Riley has never celebrated a single birthday in her entire life." My phone buzzed, pulling me out of my thoughts.

It was Carter. His breathing was heavy, fighting through the background noise of traffic. "Willow, I just dropped the last of your boxes at FedEx. They're shipped to Southern U.

You need help finishing up over there?" I scanned the sterile, strippeddown bedroom. I shook my head, even though he couldn't see me. "No. I'm done.

Just wait for me by the storefront." I snapped the lid shut on the tin box.

I carried it out to the alley and dumped it straight into the dumpster, burying it under a black trash bag.

After saying goodbye to Shannon, I grabbed my bike and pedaled hard toward the shipping center. I didn't factor in running into Roman again.

A massive crowd from our graduating class spilled out onto the sidewalk in front of a diner. Jordan and the guys were loudly debating where to crash for the night.

I kept my head down, planning to cruise right past them. A shadow darted directly into my front tire. My fingers clamped down brutally on the brakes.

The rubber shrieked against the asphalt. Before I could even plant my boots on the ground, a heavy figure bumped into my shoulder. The impact knocked me off balance.

I scraped my palms against the concrete as I fell. Roman didn't even check to see if I was bleeding.

He had his back turned to me, his arms wrapped securely around a trembling Riley, hauling her upright.

When he finally spun around, raw fury warped his features. "Willow, are you out of your mind? Did you aim for her on purpose?" he yelled. "She was standing right in the open!

Are you fucking blind?" Chapter 6 Jordan cleared his throat from the sidelines, nodding in my direction. "Roman, Willow went down too." Roman finally whipped his head around.

He caught me stumbling slightly as I tried to get my footing. A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes, but his voice stayed icecold. "She shouldn't have been riding so recklessly.

She had it coming." I completely ignored him.

I locked eyes with Riley, brushing the grit off my palms. "Why did you jump in front of my bike?" Riley put on her soft, breathy voice. "Willow, I figured it out.

Shannon told me another scholarship kid needs the spare room next year.

That's why she wants me to move out." She turned her puppydog eyes back to Roman, tugging his sleeve. "Roman, you completely misjudged Willow the other day.

You need to apologize to her right now." Roman stared at me, his jaw tight. A defensive flush crept up his neck. "Why the hell should I apologize?

If she didn't constantly target you, I wouldn't have suspected her in the first place." "I'll say sorry, but only on my terms.

She needs to promise she won't bully you anymore, and she needs to apologize for the stunt she pulled at the dinner.

Then I'll apologize." Riley shot him a playful glare before flashing me a sweet, sickening smile. "I'm so sorry, Willow. You know how stubborn Roman gets.

Please don't be mad." I glanced down at my Apple Watch. 7:30 PM. I brushed them off, utterly exhausted by the performance. "Yeah, whatever. It's not a big deal.

Keep your apology." Something in my tone hit a massive nerve. Roman scoffed, a harsh, mocking sound. "Willow, is it seriously fun for you?

Playing this toxic, unbothered game?" I didn't even try to decipher his delusion. I didn't have the time. I hauled my bike upright, kicked off the pavement, and rode away.

Behind me, the wind carried the loud, jagged edges of their conversation. "Roman, that's messed up," Jordan muttered. "She dropped Southern U for you." "She changed her portal.

Tell her to stop acting so high and mighty," Roman snapped back. "Nobody begged her to do it." He practically yelled it, ensuring the words hit my back.

I just pedaled harder, never once turning around. Since that collision on the sidewalk, Roman hadn't seen a single trace of Willow.

The rest of the friend group had picked up on the toxic fallout. They had collectively agreed to keep her name out of their mouths around him.

Roman paced his room, completely unable to wrap his head around the fallout. In his mind, it was just a swapped college application—a temporary detour.

Why the hell was she holding such a massive, apocalyptic grudge over it? They had known each other since they were seven. A solid decade.

They had never gone this long without crossing paths. He had pissed her off plenty of times before. But the routine was always the same.

He'd put up a wall, ice her out for a few days, and Willow would always cave. She would swallow her pride and coax him out of his bad mood.

One year for his birthday, she even drew him a stack of homemade "Get Out of Jail Free" coupons.

She told him if he ever really messed up, he just had to hand one over, and she'd let it go. Why was the script suddenly flipped?

He swallowed his pride and casually dropped her name to his mom in the kitchen. "She probably flew down south to stay with Diana," she replied, not looking up from the stove.

The words nailed Roman to the floorboards. It hit him like a freight train. Southern U was in the exact same city where Diana’s company was headquartered.

Suddenly, her outrage made perfect sense. She gave up being near her mother—just to stay local with him. A twisted, smug satisfaction bloomed in his chest.

He still held the ultimate power in her life. He wanted to text her an apology, but his ego refused to let him type the words.

He dug out those old, faded coupons from his desk, then tossed them back. Too childish. He'd just wait until movein day. They were stuck at the same local campus anyway.

He and Willow. They had all the time in the world. Chapter 7 I slowly adapted to the suffocating humidity and the slow, drawling accents of the South.

Everything that happened up North with Roman felt like a different lifetime. Sydney had gotten bored sitting at home, so she had flown down early.

We spent that weekend hiding from the heat in the historic district. A steady, light drizzle trapped us under the awning of a coffee shop.

I watched the rain shatter against the cobblestones. The relentless, rhythmic sound washed over me, cold and indifferent, just like the end of us.

All the drama, the heartbreak, the years spent chasing a ghost… it all just washed away. My youth, just like that, officially ended with that final summer storm. September hit fast.

Diana cleared her schedule to help Sydney and me move into our dorms.

Sydney had been crashing on my floor for weeks, spending every afternoon baking in the sun by the campus basketball courts. She was three shades darker and practically a local.

The second our boxes were unpacked, she dragged me straight to the asphalt courts. She pressed an icecold Gatorade into my hands. "Use this as an excuse.

Go find a hot upperclassman, hand him this, and make your move. Got it?" I choked out a laugh, rolling my eyes as my fingers curled around the plastic bottle.

The halftime whistle shrieked. Sydney bolted. She threw a heavy wink over her shoulder before disappearing into the crowd. I followed her line of sight.

A swarm of freshmen girls had completely cornered one of the guys. "Hey, could I get your snap?" "Do you have a girlfriend?" "That threepointer was insane!" The crowd shifted.

Our eyes locked. Carter. He wore a black mesh jersey, his chest heaving as he swiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

He completely ignored the circle of girls. He cut straight through the crowd, closing the distance between us.

His large hand wrapped around the Gatorade in my grip, his rough fingers brushing mine. A collective, dramatic sigh rippled through the sidelines.

One of his teammates barked a laugh. "Damn, Carter! It's just a pickup game. Did you have to play that ruthless?" Carter didn't look away from me. The corner of his mouth ticked up.

A knowing, meaningful look flashed in his dark eyes. My heart skipped a beat. Back in the dorm, my brain was shortcircuiting.

I pulled up Carter's contact, my thumb hovering over the call button. The screen switched to an incoming call. The name flashed. Roman. My stomach dropped.

I stared at it for three rings before swiping accept. "Willow." His voice crackled through the speaker, sounding entirely too casual. "Where are you?

Want to hit the track?" My throat clamped shut. I didn't even know how to process the delusion. Roman took the silence as a grudge. He rushed to fill it. "Look, I'm sorry.

I wanted to help you move in today." "But Riley doesn't know her way around the city at all, so I had to drop her off at her dorm first. I didn't even help her unpack, I swear.

I just dropped her and left." "I messed up with the portal swap. I didn't think it through." "If you're homesick for Diana, I'll fly down south with you every single break.

Just… stop icing me out. Please." His words tumbled out fast and anxious.

Before I could even untangle the mess to reply, Sydney shoved the bathroom door open in a cloud of steam. "Willow!

Stop making heart eyes at Carter over the phone and go take your shower!" The line went dead. The silence stretched. It pulled tight. "Willow." Roman's voice cracked.

The arrogant edge was entirely gone. He forced the words out, syllable by jagged syllable. "Where. Are.

You." I pulled in a slow, steady breath. "Southern U." "No." A harsh, frantic denial. "Impossible. I told you to switch your portal.

I reminded you." "You did." I kept my voice perfectly hollow. "But I never agreed. Did I?" Thud. Something heavy dropped to the floor on his end