Eddie: Hey, pretty Felicia, are things between you and Rad over?, Sam: Felicia, Conrad's all out of sorts because of you. Don't be mad. Us brothers will set him straight for you., Hector: Felicia, when you're free, let's grab dinner, you and Rad., Tom: Count me in! I'm sure I can smooth things over between you and Conrad., Peter: You all need to chill. Couples fight and make up. Look at you, stirring the pot., I scrolled through these messages, baffled about what they must've heard to tag me in the group chat., The group chat included eight of us. Aside from those who spoke, the others were Conrad, me, and Jefferson., I was closest to Jefferson, the only one who hadn't spoken up yet., So, I dropped him a message. Jefferson, what's the buzz everyone has caught?, In the circle, Conrad was the third oldest, Jefferson the sixth. Anyway, they were about the same age. When I met Jefferson, Conrad and I weren't officially an item yet. By then, he and Conrad had become sworn brothers, so I got to know Jefferson. As Conrad's good buddy, Jefferson and I met occasionally., Conrad has posted on his socials. Didn't you see? Jefferson replied instantly., Jefferson must've seen the group messages, too, but knew better than to weigh in on Conrad and my situation., After reading his reply, I immediately checked the socials and saw Conrad's post, a freshly picked red rose with the caption:

"Red has always been more my color.

", I always preferred white roses, which everyone knew. His post told everyone familiar with our situation that he was moving on from me, the white rose., Remembering the harsh words exchanged over the phone, it was clear he was choosing Haley over me., The group awaited my response, and I had to reply. So, I liked Conrad's post and messaged back in the group., Thanks for the concern, guys. Conrad and I end as lovers but remain friends, just like with all of you., My message sent shockwaves through the group, evident from the flurry of astonished and horrified emojis that followed., I glanced over them and quietly got out of the group chat. What they said afterward didn't matter to me anymore. Yet, I had a restless night, haunted by dreams of their inquiries about my break-up with Conrad., I woke up before dawn, my eyes swollen, likely from crying the night before. I applied some ice, did my makeup, and packed a few clothes, as I'd be staying in a hotel., When Deborah arrived at the amusement park, I was busy with work. She looked shocked.

"Girl, you didn't pull an all-nighter here, did you?

",

"Just got here early,

" I responded,

"Have you had breakfast?

",

"Not yet,

" Deborah replied. She was the type to clock in just in time and then sneak in her breakfast.,

"Go have breakfast first, then get back to work. And from now on, if you're working with me, forget about sleeping in,

" I warned Deborah., Deborah shrugged but promised,

"Okay, no more sleeping in. But after we finish here, you owe me a week off to catch up on all my missed sleep.

", I'd quit after the project, wondering if I'd still have the authority to grant her that time off. Still, I agreed, hoping my request would carry some weight by then., At lunch, Jefferson showed up as Deborah and I were about to dive into our takeout.,

"Let me take you out for lunch,

" he said, straight to the point.,

"I can't. I've got the lighting technician coming this afternoon,

" I declined., Jefferson glanced around the park.

"You're dedicated to this place.

", I smiled.

"If you've got something to say, just say it, Jefferson.

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