I Will Come

With this thought, Carlton ran to the door, grabbed his jacket and, without turning around, threw over his shoulder to the guys:

"I'll catch up with Emily. Wait for me, don't go anywhere..."

"NO!" Dan suddenly shouted loudly and decisively, breaking the silence that had followed Carlton's words.

His voice was full of concern and there was an odd expression on his face, as if he was trying to keep something important from falling. Carlton froze for a moment. He turned to Dan, and his eyes became cold and wary. Dan rarely spoke so bluntly, and it gave Carlton pause for a moment.

"What's wrong?" he asked, trying to understand what was hidden behind his friend's words.

"You don't understand her, Carlton," Dan replied, his face suddenly serious. "If you run after her now, she'll think you're trying to control her. She'll get even angrier. You know how she gets when she's cornered."

Carlton looked at Dan distantly, trying to process his words. He wasn't sure if it would help, but what Dan said made sense. Emily might actually perceive this as an attempt to invade her privacy.

"But I can't just sit here knowing she's out there, alone," Carlton said, his voice full of determination but also doubt.

He didn't want to make mistakes, but he needed to be there for her.

"I understand," his voice was calm but firm, "but you know that she left for a reason. She will not wait for you to quickly solve her problems. Let her get home in peace. After all, you should know her nature better, after all, she is your girlfriend!"

The words hit Carlton like a cold shower. He sighed, lowered his head, and looked around. Dan was right, and he knew it. Emily had always been a strong woman who preferred to solve her problems on her own, and if she was leaving now, it meant that she really needed time. He didn't need to interfere with her process, especially now, when she was in such a mood.

"You're right," Carlton finally said, feeling the weight of tension ease a little. "I should have realized that sooner. She'll choose the moment when she wants to talk."

Dan nodded and brushed the dust off his jacket with a slight movement of his shoulder.

"Well, you're not the perfect guy," he said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood a little. "But you have a chance to be one. The important thing is that you understand what she wants. Sometimes you just have to be able to wait.

Carlton sighed and looked out the window again. He was grateful for the support, but his thoughts still returned to Emily. Where was she now? What was she feeling? Maybe she was already on the bus and leaving for New York, or maybe she was sitting on a bench somewhere, hiding her emotions.

At this point, Ryan, who had been silent for a long time, sitting on the couch with filled glasses in his hands, noticed how Carlton continued to nervously move around the room and finally decided to intervene. His words sounded unexpected, but they did not contain the usual irony or sarcasm that usually adorned his speech.

"Carlton," he said, not taking his eyes off his friend. "Forgive me, it's my fault she ran away from you."

Carlton froze, looking back at Ryan. He hadn't expected those words, especially from Ryan. Ryan was usually the one who always tried to lighten the mood, but now his face was serious. Carlton's emotions, which he had been trying to hide, were now spilling out.

"You?" Carlton sighed, confused. "How could it be your fault? Emily left on her own. She... she needed this.

"I probably said the wrong thing," Ryan paused, his voice even but tinged with regret. "It's just... when I started making jokes about her playing cards with us, I didn't think it would hurt her. I saw her suddenly change, like everything inside her had flipped over, and, shit, I didn't realize I'd said the wrong thing. And honestly, I was a little scared that you, as her boyfriend, would take revenge on me for it.

Carlton looked at Ryan again. He couldn't find the words to express what was going through his head. Emily had been many things to him-his girlfriend, his friend, his rock. But everything that was happening now made him feel like they were losing touch. He didn't know how to fix what had happened.

"I'm not mad at you," he said, trying to be honest, because, frankly, his head was all mixed up right now, and he himself couldn't figure out what exactly he was feeling.

Ryan stood before him, as if expecting an accusation, unsure how to respond to such sincerity. He searched Carlton's face, trying to detect any hint of irritation, but found none.

"Are you serious?" Ryan looked a little confused, his voice wavering slightly.

He was prepared for something more blunt, but instead Carlton said something that didn't fit his imagination. Carlton took a step forward, then sat down in his chair with a heavy sigh, thinking about his words once more.

"Yes, I mean it," he said, looking around the room. He could feel the tension starting to ease, but the chaos inside him was still there. "You didn't set me up on purpose, did you? You didn't know it would hurt Emily. I... I'm the one who's to blame for not noticing her feelings. I didn't see how much pain she was in.

Ryan was silent, but there was something in his eyes that looked like realization. He knew he wasn't the only one to blame, but Carlton was also telling the truth, and his words were actually getting through.

"So what do you want me to do?" Ryan finally decided to ask him. "Do you want me to apologize to her?"

Carlton thought about it. He wasn't sure an apology would change the situation right away, but maybe Ryan should at least show that he understood his mistake.

"No, not exactly," Carlton said, taking a step forward. He looked at Dan, who was standing in the corner of the room with a serious expression on his face. "I think we should do as Dan said, that is, leave her alone. She's tired enough this day, after all, don't forget, you showed up here to find everything ready, and who prepared all this? That's right, me and Emily," he added reproachfully, looking around at everyone gathered in the living room.