No Room for Me

My best friend, Ronald Carr, was a terrible driver. He was always scraping his car against something, so he bought the parking space between mine and my fiancée's. They both got off work before I did. By the time I got home, Ronald's car was usually parked at an angle, leaving me no room to pull into my space. I ended up parking in an outdoor lot a little over half a mile away and walking home. Ronald always acted embarrassed about it. He often came over to clean or fix things around our place to make up for the hassle. Then one day, the city issued an urgent warning about torrential rain. When I got home, Ronald's car was blocking my space again. I had to leave my car in the other lot and walk back through the downpour. When I finally got inside, Alicia Baker and Ronald were talking about what to have for dinner. They looked up at me as I stood in the doorway, dripping wet. "Sorry, Chase," Ronald said. "I was trying not to clip Alicia's car. I'll straighten it out next time." Alicia hurried over with a towel. "Ronald, just park closer to my car next time. A little scratch won't bother me." Then she turned to me. "Go easy on him, Chase. He's doing his best." It always went like that. Ronald apologized, Alicia jumped in to defend him, and I never even got a chance to object. This time, I didn't have the patience for it. I gave a distracted "Alright," and headed into the bathroom. I stripped off my wet clothes and settled into the bath. For the next half hour, their laughter carried through the door. The water warmed me up, and I stretched out as far as the tub allowed. It was just big enough for one. By the time I got out, I had made up my mind. I was done trying to fit my car into a space Ronald kept taking over. And I was done trying to find room for myself in a relationship that left me standing out in the rain. Chapter 1 When I finished my bath, my phone screen lit up with a message from the property manager. [Mr. Dawson, you have a great parking spot. Are you sure you want to sell it?] I stared at the message for a few seconds, then typed back, [I'm sure.] His reply came almost immediately. [Alright. Several people have asked about it. If you're flexible on the price, we could have the paperwork signed tomorrow.] I let out a long breath. For the first time in months, I felt some of the tension leave my shoulders. Over the past year, that parking space caused more trouble than it was worth. My best friend, Ronald Carr, always blamed his driving and said he was worried about scratching my fiancée, Alicia Baker's, car. Somehow, his solution was to park farther and farther into my spot. Whenever I worked late, I came home to a gap barely wide enough to walk through, let alone park in. I called Ronald to ask him to move his car, but he never answered. Eventually, Alicia picked up instead. She always spoke quietly, as if someone nearby was sleeping. "Just park outside tonight. He didn't do it on purpose. I'll remind him next time." I heard some version of that excuse every time Ronald blocked my space. He didn't mean to. He already said he was sorry. Parking made him nervous. Alicia always worried about making him uncomfortable. She never seemed concerned about the walk she expected me to make. I finished drying my hair and left the bathroom. A delicious spread sat on the dining table, and the two of them were already eating. Ronald sat beside Alicia, working a bone out of his fish. Without looking over, she put a rib on his plate, then took a napkin from the holder and set it beside his hand. She did it so casually that it was hard to believe this was anything new. Ronald noticed me first and smiled. "Hey, Chase. Come eat. Food's getting cold." Alicia looked up. "Come sit down." I stayed where I was. Cold air blew against my damp hair, chilling the back of my neck. "It's cold in here," I remarked. Ronald still held the remote. He had just turned the temperature down. He glanced at Alicia. "I was hot from cooking. That's all." His smile faded. "If this is about the parking, Chase, I already said I was sorry." Alicia frowned. "Chase, he's been at work all day, and he still made us dinner. Please don't give him a hard time." I met her eyes. "I said it was cold in here, Alicia. That's it." She hesitated, then put some food on my plate with a patience that felt patronizing. "Alright. Let's just eat. There's no reason to get upset." I sat down and picked up my fork. The shrimp was cooked in the tomato sauce I always liked, but I struggled to get through even one bite. We were sitting at my own dinner table, yet the conversation revolved around their work and people I didn't know. They laughed at jokes I couldn't follow and finished each other's sentences without missing a beat. Each time I looked up, I felt more like a guest they invited to fill an empty chair. Ronald settled into our place a little at a time, each change small enough to pass off as nothing. He left a jacket on the coat rack because it was "handy to have around." He kept his face wash in our bathroom, too. It stayed there long enough that neither of them seemed to question it. The fridge was always stocked with his favorite yogurt. Whenever I brought it up, Alicia said she just happened to grab some at the store. He treated the place like his own. I lived there, and somehow I was the one who felt out of place. Chapter 2 Right then, my phone buzzed again. The property manager sent another message. [Mr. Dawson, a resident wants to sign the contract tomorrow at noon. Does that work for you?] I replied, [That works.] Across the table, Ronald smiled at me. "Give me a heads-up the next time you're working late. I'll leave you a plate." I looked at him. "Don't bother." His smile faded. I pushed my plate away and stood. "I'm full." Alicia's tone sharpened. "Chase, what is it now?" I didn't explain. For a long time, I thought I just needed to find the right words to get through to her. In truth, Alicia understood what bothered me. She simply didn't consider it a problem. As I shut the bedroom door, Ronald lowered his voice. "What did I do this time?" "Nothing," Alicia said gently. "He's been stressed lately. Just give him some space." I paused inside the bedroom. Light from the living room spilled under the door, and soon they were laughing again. Neither of them seemed to miss me at the table. By then, it was clear how long I had been living in a home where there was no room for me. The next morning, messages flooded the group chat the three of us shared. Ronald sent the first few. [What's your deal, Chase? All this over a parking spot?] Alicia jumped in. [Don't take it personally. He's under a lot of pressure at work. You didn't do it on purpose. You have nothing to feel bad about.] I read their messages on the subway, my grip tightening around my phone. I paid for that space. Every day Ronald blocked it, I was the one who parked half a mile away and walked home. Yet there they were, discussing my attitude as though that was the only problem. I left the messages unanswered. At noon, I took time off work and went to the property management office to sign the contract. The manager gave it one last try. "It's a great spot. You're sure you wanna sell?" I picked up the pen. "Positive." Signing my name brought a small measure of relief. No more standing in the garage, waiting for someone to bother moving a car so I could use the space I owned. After work, I drove into the garage beneath our building. I spotted Ronald's white car before I reached the space. Its nose crossed the line, and the back end stuck out at an angle. He parked like he owned the spaces on either side of him. I sat behind the wheel for a moment and gave a short laugh. Of course nothing changed. As far as Ronald was concerned, he could park wherever he wanted. I pulled into a short-term space and went upstairs. Before I got my key into the lock, I heard laughter inside. "Good thing you jumped on it," Ronald said. "Someone else buys that spot, and I'm out of luck." Alicia laughed. "I told you I'd take care of it. Buying it was the important part. We can figure out the rest later." I stopped with the key in my hand. Alicia turned out to be the buyer. After a pause, Ronald asked, "How's Chase gonna take it?" "Oh, he's just in a mood," she said. "Give him a couple of days. I'll talk him around." "And if he tells me I can't park there?" "It's my space now. He doesn't get to decide." I stood outside the door, my key still in my hand. I signed those papers thinking I was finally done with the whole arrangement. As it turned out, Alicia went behind my back and bought the space so Ronald could keep taking it over. Chapter 3 I opened the door, went straight to the bedroom, and pulled out my suitcase. Alicia followed me in. "Chase, what are you doing?" I started putting my clothes into the suitcase. "Moving out." "Over a parking space?" I kept packing. She put a hand on the suitcase. "You sold it without even talking to me?" I looked at her. "It was mine. I didn't need your permission." For a moment, she had no answer. Then, her expression tightened. "We're about to get married. Are we really going to argue over what's yours and what's mine?" "You bought it, didn't you?" "Yes, I did. Why shouldn't I?" She said it without hesitation. "You wanted to sell it. Was I supposed to let some stranger take it? You know Ronald has trouble parking. Having that extra space makes things easier for him." "For him." "Oh, Chase, please. It's a parking space. I'll buy you another one, okay?" She made it sound so simple, as though the only problem was my refusal to accept it. I zipped the suitcase shut and faced her. "The wedding's off, Alicia. I'm not marrying you." Her expression hardened. "Our wedding is in two weeks. You're telling me this now?" Ronald appeared in the doorway, looking tense. "Come on, Chase. This is on me. Don't take it out on her." I turned to him. "Then tell me what you did wrong." He went pale and said nothing. Alicia stepped into my path. "If you leave tonight, don't expect me to talk things through with you later." I took out my phone. The offer from our overseas division was still open. [Overseas Assignment Offer. Please confirm your acceptance by the end of this week.] I spent three days going back and forth over that email. Now, the decision was easy. With both of them watching, I typed my reply. [I accept.] As soon as I hit send, Mom called. "Chase, what are you thinking? All this over a parking space? The wedding's almost here. What are we supposed to tell everyone?" Before I could answer, Dad took the phone. "Enough, Chase. You're about to be a married man. Start acting like one." Neither asked why I wanted to leave. They heard enough to decide I was the problem, and keeping up appearances mattered more to them than hearing my side. I hung up. Ronald came over and held out a beer. "Come on, Chase. Have a drink. Let's talk." I left him holding it. "What do you want?" His jaw tightened. "You're really going to call off the wedding over this? Fine. I'll park somewhere else. You want the spot that bad, it's yours." I gave a short, incredulous laugh. "You're giving me my own parking space?" He hesitated, then tried a smile. "Come on, Chase. We've been friends for years. You're throwing all that away over a place to park?" "Then why did you get Alicia to buy it?" "I didn't ask her to." His answer came fast. "She was just looking out for me. You know I'm bad at parking. That's nothing new. You never used to have a problem cutting me some slack." I nodded once. "How much slack, Ronald? Enough to let you move in on my fiancée?" He had nothing to say to that. I looked him in the eye. "All this time, were you parking in my space because you couldn't help it, or because you knew you could get away with it?" His jaw tightened. "Do you really have to be a jerk about this?" I sneered. "What do you want me to say, Ronald? You know what you've been doing." He stopped trying to sound friendly. "I haven't taken anything from you. Alicia and I work together. We're headed to the same place. That's all." By then, I was done listening. "You've always got an explanation, but you know exactly where you crossed the line." Ronald didn't answer. He set the beer down and gave me a hard look. "You'll regret this, Chase." "I regret letting it go on this long," I retorted. I grabbed my suitcase and walked out, shutting the door behind me. - The next morning, I walked into the break room at work and overheard a few coworkers discussing a meeting. "We're going over to Sterling Enterprises today, right?" "Yeah. Every time I'm there, Alicia's car is parked next to the same guy's." "Ronald? Those two are always getting coffee together, too. Hold on. Isn't she engaged to Chase?" They turned and saw me. I offered no explanation. A moment later, my boss came out of his office. "Chase, I need you at Sterling Enterprises this afternoon. Go over the details of the new project and get everything finalized." "Will do." The timing almost made me laugh. People who barely knew us noticed the way Alicia and Ronald behaved around each other. I was the one who kept giving them the benefit of the doubt. Chapter 4 At 3 p.m., I arrived at Sterling Enterprises with the project documents. I was checking in at reception when I heard laughter from the break room. Alicia and Ronald came out together, each carrying a coffee. A coworker called over, "Treating Ronald again, Alicia?" Ronald grinned. "Hey, she offered. I'm not turning down free coffee." Alicia smiled along with him until she saw me. I took my visitor badge and walked past them. The meeting ran for an hour. I stuck to the project, keeping my tone professional. Alicia kept glancing my way, but I gave her no attention beyond what the meeting required. When we finished, I closed my laptop and left. She caught up as I entered the elevator and stepped in beside me. "What was that about?" "I was doing my job." "You walked right past me and Ronald. You didn't have anything to say?" I turned to her. "Would asking have gotten me an honest answer?" She opened her mouth, then closed it. When the doors opened, she followed me out. "Chase, the wedding is in two weeks. This is a terrible time to make a scene. Think about what this will do to both of us." I stopped and faced her. "Is that all you're worried about? How it'll look if we call it off?" She went quiet, and then her tone softened a little. "Alright. Maybe Ronald and I have been spending too much time together, but we're coworkers. I can't just shut him out and make things awkward." By then, her excuses no longer hurt. They only confirmed what I already knew. "You don't want things to be awkward for him. What about me? "I couldn't use my own parking space, and you told me to give him a break. I felt like a guest in my own home, and you said I was overthinking it. "I finally sold the space to be done with the problem, and you bought it behind my back so he could keep using it. Tell me when you've ever taken my side." She pressed her lips together. For a while, neither of us spoke. "I'll set some boundaries with him," she finally said. "Let me drive you home tonight. We can sit down and talk." "Don't bother. There's nothing left to discuss." I turned and walked away. After that, she texted me constantly. [Have you eaten? [Can we go over our wedding outfits this week? [The planner needs us to approve the schedule. Do you have time tonight?] I muted her messages. The wedding was 14 days away. My overseas assignment started that same day. I opened my calendar and looked at the date. Once, I couldn't wait for it to arrive. Now, I was counting the days until I left. Over the next two weeks, I tied up loose ends and arranged for someone to pick up the documents and belongings still at Alicia's place. In our group chat, she carried on planning the wedding. [Chase is swamped with work. Ronald, could you pick out a suit for him?] Ronald replied almost immediately. [Leave it to me. I know what'll look good on him.] I nearly left the chat, then changed my mind. I wanted to see how much more of my life they intended to arrange without me. The night before my flight, Alicia sent another string of messages. [I'll see you at the venue tomorrow morning. [I've taken care of everything. Just be there on time. [Let's put all this behind us, okay? We can still have a good life together if you stop turning everything into an argument.] I didn't answer. The next morning, Alicia arrived outside my building in her wedding dress. I was already on my way to the airport. My phone rang over and over. I let every call go unanswered. Later, my real estate agent told me she went upstairs and pounded on my door until security intervened. By then, she was kicking it. The apartment was empty except for a table. On it, I left her a note. [Alicia, we're done. For good.] A little later, Alicia sent another message. [If you don't show up today, I'll marry Ronald instead.] I read it without a flicker of anger. My parents kept calling. Mom left messages telling me the relatives were all there, waiting. I didn't respond. Then came a stream of texts from Alicia, demanding to know what was wrong with me and whether I had lost my mind. I silenced my phone and looked toward the boarding gate. When the final boarding call came, I blocked Alicia, switched off my phone, and put it in my bag. I walked through the gate without looking back.