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I Was Always Behind The Camera While She Stood Beside Him
Novelix
Completed
"My boyfriend, Adrian Cole, had promised to take me to Sedona to watch the moon every year on Harvest Moon weekend. But every year, he broke that promise for his best friend, Vanessa Reed. The first year, Vanessa said she wanted to go camping in Joshua Tree, so Adrian canceled our tickets. The second year, Vanessa said she wanted to watch the meteor shower in Death Valley, and Adrian placated me with the same promise. ""Next fall. I promise I'll take you."" This year, I booked our flights to Arizona and our hotel in Sedona well in advance. The day before we were supposed to leave, Adrian bailed on me again. ""Vanessa wants to go to Santa Catalina Island to watch the moon rise over the ocean. Ethan Blake managed to get four ferry tickets."" Four tickets. The four of them, as always. I looked at him. ""What about Sedona? You promised me."" Adrian kept typing in the group chat, barely paying attention. ""Can't we just go next year?"" ""Vanessa hardly ever gets excited about something like a moonrise over the ocean. Don't make such a big deal out of it."" Next year. I was so tired of hearing those words. With that, he turned around and left. Three hours later, I saw Vanessa's post on social media. In the group photo, she and Adrian stood side by side in the center, grinning. The caption read: 【Another Harvest Moon with the four of us.】 I stared at that line for a long time, then canceled our flights to Arizona. The airline representative asked: ""Would you like to cancel both tickets?"" I paused. ""No. Keep one."" He already had someone to share every moon with. Starting this year, it was time I found out what life looked like without Adrian."
Chapters (3)
Chapter 1
My boyfriend, Adrian Cole, had promised to take me to Sedona to watch the moon every year on Harvest Moon weekend.
But every year, he broke that promise for his best friend, Vanessa Reed.
The first year, Vanessa said she wanted to go camping in Joshua Tree, so Adrian canceled our tickets.
The second year, Vanessa said she wanted to watch the meteor shower in Death Valley, and Adrian placated me with the same promise.
"Next fall. I promise I'll take you."
This year, I booked our flights to Arizona and our hotel in Sedona well in advance.
The day before we were supposed to leave, Adrian bailed on me again.
"Vanessa wants to go to Santa Catalina Island to watch the moon rise over the ocean. Ethan Blake managed to get four ferry tickets."
Four tickets.
The four of them, as always.
I looked at him.
"What about Sedona? You promised me."
Adrian kept typing in the group chat, barely paying attention.
"Can't we just go next year?"
"Vanessa hardly ever gets excited about something like a moonrise over the ocean. Don't make such a big deal out of it."
Next year.
I was so tired of hearing those words.
With that, he turned around and left.
Three hours later, I saw Vanessa's post on social media.
In the group photo, she and Adrian stood side by side in the center, grinning.
The caption read:
【Another Harvest Moon with the four of us.】
I stared at that line for a long time, then canceled our flights to Arizona.
The airline representative asked:
"Would you like to cancel both tickets?"
I paused.
"No. Keep one."
He already had someone to share every moon with.
Starting this year, it was time I found out what life looked like without Adrian.
...
I had packed for Sedona once before, three years ago.
That year, I spent two full months preparing for the trip.
Three days before we were supposed to leave, Vanessa posted a photo of a campsite in their private group chat.
【I don't feel like going anywhere crowded this year.】
【Suddenly in the mood to watch the stars.】
By the time I found out, Adrian had already canceled both tickets to Arizona.
It was the first time I had ever fought with him over his friends.
"You didn't even ask me."
Adrian was looking up Joshua Tree camping guides for Vanessa. He didn't even raise his head.
"Ask you what?"
"We can always buy new tickets. Sedona isn't going anywhere."
"But they all want to go camping. I can't make everyone change their plans just for you."
I stood there for a long time.
It had been our plan to begin with.
Somehow, it ended with me being the one demanding that everyone accommodate me.
I didn't go camping with them.
But that night, Vanessa video-called me.
"You're really not coming? Adrian says you're still upset."
Before I could answer, she laughed and turned the camera around.
"Look what he made me."
Adrian was crouched beside the campfire, toasting a marshmallow for her.
When Vanessa complained that the surface was slightly burnt, he threw it away and started over.
He kept at it until one came out almost perfectly golden, then held it up to her lips.
The other two were egging them on from the side.
"Since when did Mr. Perfect get so good at taking care of people?"
"Vanessa really has Adrian wrapped around her finger."
Adrian aimed a kick at them.
"You act like you don't know how picky she is about food."
Vanessa seemed to suddenly remember that I was still on the call.
"Don't read too much into it."
"The four of us have always been like this."
"Adrian's just used to taking care of me."
Before I could respond, Adrian walked over and took the phone from her.
"They're just joking around. Don't start looking upset again."
My eyes stung.
"Adrian, today was supposed to be our trip to Sedona."
The smile faded from his face.
"Not this again. Didn't I already promise to take you next year?"
"Everyone is having a good time. Do you really have to bring this up right now?"
Then he ended the call.
After that, I started making an effort to attend their get-togethers so Adrian wouldn't think I resented his friends.
That was how I became their permanent photographer.
"Take a picture of us."
"Same spots as always."
Adrian stood in the middle, with Ethan and Noah Carter on either side.
Vanessa was always next to Adrian.
I was always behind the camera.
One New Year's Eve, I finally handed the camera to Ethan.
"Can you take a picture of me and Adrian?"
"I feel like we haven't had one together in ages."
Vanessa immediately squeezed between us.
She linked one arm through Adrian's and the other through mine.
"Why take one with just the two of you?"
"Let's all be in it."
For the first time, I didn't go along with her.
"I only want one with Adrian."
Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second.
Then she let go.
"Fine. Go ahead and take one without me."
She stepped aside and looked down at her phone.
The mood shifted instantly.
Ethan and Noah didn't say a word.
Before I could process what had happened, Adrian was already frowning.
"Vanessa only wanted to be in the picture with us."
"Was it really necessary to embarrass her in front of everyone?"
My eyes burned.
"I only wanted a picture with my boyfriend."
"How does that embarrass her?"
Adrian's expression turned cold.
"Lily Bennett, don't bring your irrational possessiveness into our group."
Vanessa grabbed his arm, her eyes turning red.
"Adrian, let it go. Don't fight with Lily because of me."
But Adrian pulled her back to where she had been standing.
"You didn't do anything wrong."
He later pinned that photo to the top of his social media profile.
The camera screen dimmed for a moment.
I blinked back to the present.
The same photo was still on the display.
Adrian and I had been together for five years.
His camera held hundreds of group photos of the four of them.
There were only seventeen of the two of us.
Vanessa was in eleven of those.
I tapped Select All.
A prompt appeared on the screen.
【Delete 683 photos?】
I pressed Confirm.
At last, there was room for the Sedona moon I hadn't gotten to photograph three years ago.
Chapter 2
After deleting the photos, I started packing my toiletries for Sedona.
When I opened the bathroom cabinet, a bottle of perfume rolled out.
I recognized it.
It was the perfume Vanessa always wore.
Behind it were her cleansing oil, face masks, and contact lenses.
I had first discovered those things two years earlier, on the day I moved in.
I walked out of the bathroom holding Vanessa's pajamas.
"Why are Vanessa's things in the primary bedroom?"
Adrian barely glanced at them.
"She used to crash here after parties whenever she drank too much."
"She got tired of bringing everything back and forth, so she left a few things here."
I froze.
"Now that I've moved in, shouldn't she take them with her?"
Adrian frowned.
"They're just a few things. Do you really have to make such a big deal out of it?"
Vanessa somehow found out.
The next day, she showed up carrying a cardboard box.
Right in front of us, she began placing her clothes inside it one piece at a time.
Adrian frowned.
"Who told you to pack your things?"
Vanessa's eyes immediately turned red.
"Doesn't Lily mind?"
"She's the one living here with you now. I shouldn't make her uncomfortable."
Adrian's expression darkened.
"Don't listen to her."
"There will always be room for you here."
Then he turned to me.
"Lily, Vanessa isn't an outsider. Stop making things difficult for her over something so small."
I was the one who apologized that day.
After that, her things only multiplied.
The top shelf of the refrigerator was always stocked with her favorite sparkling water.
Her dresses hung in the guest room closet.
There was a set of mugs I had wanted for my birthday but couldn't bring myself to buy.
When Adrian bought the set, he gave Vanessa the pink one.
"Vanessa likes pink."
I couldn't stop myself from saying:
"I like pink too."
Adrian was already losing patience.
"It's just a mug. Why do you have to compete with her over everything?"
Eventually, even Vanessa's cat seemed to become our shared responsibility.
Whenever she traveled, she dropped Milo off with us.
When his food ran out, she told me to buy more.
When the litter box needed cleaning, she had Adrian tell me to take care of it.
Once, I spent three straight days taking my mother to her preoperative appointments.
I changed Milo's water half a day later than usual.
Vanessa immediately posted in the group chat:
【Milo has barely touched his water today. Is anyone even looking after him?】
Adrian came home that night and lashed out at me.
"I asked you to take care of one cat. You can't even manage that?"
I was still clutching my mother's test results.
"Adrian, did you forget? My mother's surgery is tomorrow."
Only then did he fall silent.
A moment later, he pulled me into his arms.
"I haven't forgotten. I won't go anywhere tomorrow. I'll stay with you."
That night, for the first time in a long while, I slept soundly because of that promise.
The next morning, he arrived at the hospital early.
Before my mother was wheeled into the operating room, she smiled at him.
"You're not busy today, Adrian?"
Adrian held my hand.
"Nothing is more important than being here with Lily. Nobody is pulling me away today."
Then, twenty minutes before the surgery was scheduled to begin, Vanessa called.
Milo was missing.
"Adrian, I'm so scared."
"What if we can't find him?"
Adrian stood up almost immediately.
My heart dropped.
For the first time, I grabbed his hand and held on tightly.
"You just made me a promise."
"My mother is about to go into surgery."
The other end of the call went quiet.
A few seconds later, Vanessa sniffled.
"Adrian, don't come. Lily will be upset."
"It's only a cat, anyway."
The more she protested, the deeper Adrian's frown became.
"She's had Milo since he was a kitten. Do you have any idea how much he means to her?"
I stared at him in disbelief.
"So what?"
"My mother is about to have surgery."
"Two people are already helping her look for Milo."
"Why do you still have to go?"
Adrian looked like I was testing his patience.
"Your mother is having a minor procedure. She has doctors, nurses, and you."
My eyes turned red.
"But I'm scared too."
He was silent for two seconds.
Then he pried my fingers from his sleeve.
"Lily, grow up."
"Vanessa needs me more right now."
He left.
When my mother was wheeled into surgery, I was the only one beside her.
Later, Vanessa posted an update on social media.
Milo had been found.
The caption contained only one line.
【I'm so lucky the three of you always show up for me.】
Chapter 3
At the time, I didn't even blame them.
Adrian had told me:
"You keep thinking Vanessa has something against you, but the truth is, you've never treated them like real friends."
So when Vanessa asked if I wanted to join them on a trip to Paris, I was happy for days.
"Lily, haven't you always said you wanted to travel with us?"
"This time, all five of us can go. Then Adrian won't have to feel caught in the middle."
I truly believed they had finally accepted me.
It wasn't until we landed that I realized a trip planned for four people had no room for a fifth.
They had booked a car from Paris International Airport that only fit four passengers.
Vanessa looked embarrassed.
"Lily, you go with Adrian. I'll take a cab."
Adrian frowned immediately.
"You get lost everywhere. Stop pretending you'll be fine."
Then he picked up my suitcase and set it back on the curb.
"I sent you the address. Get there on your own."
It was my first time in France.
I stood outside the unfamiliar airport and watched the car pull away with the four of them inside.
The rest of the trip was the same.
Every restaurant catered to their tastes.
Every photo placed them in their usual positions.
Even the hotel had only two rooms booked in advance.
Adrian said we could simply ask for another room when we arrived.
But the front desk told me there were no vacancies during peak season.
In the end, I dragged my suitcase to a small hotel on the next street.
That night, Vanessa posted a photo in the group chat.
The four of them were wearing matching hotel robes and clinking glasses on the balcony.
Ethan captioned it:
【Nothing beats the four of us.】
I stared at those words for a long time.
I typed a response, deleted it, and tried again.
In the end, I only sent a smiley face.
On the day we were supposed to fly home, I couldn't find my passport.
I tore through my suitcase as cold sweat broke out across my skin.
Then I remembered something and looked at Vanessa.
"Yesterday, at the tax-refund desk, I think you were holding my passport."
Everyone turned to look at her.
She searched through her handbag, her face growing paler by the second.
"But I'm sure I gave it back to you."
My voice was shaking.
"Please check again."
Vanessa stopped searching.
Her eyes immediately turned red.
"Lily, what are you implying?"
"You think I lost your passport?"
Adrian's expression had already darkened.
"Lily, right now we need to solve the problem."
"Don't take your frustration out on Vanessa every time something goes wrong."
Ethan checked the time.
"We only have ninety minutes until boarding."
Noah began urging us to move.
"If we keep standing here, none of us will make the flight."
