Of course, they decided that 12 of the states could meet in convention and decide that 9 of the states could form a new government and go their own way, leaving the rest behind. In the end, 11 states formed a new government, leaving NC and RI on the outside looking in.
The latter never thought of themselves as out of the Union.
In fact R.I.'s governor wrote a letter to Washington essentially begging him to help make sure that the state was NOT treated as another country.
With both states there was no belief they would stay out of the new government just as soon as the impediments to joining were removed.
It is not like there was a real government functioning before the CC was called anyway.