Leaving Before He Breaks His Promise Again

We have just finished our classes for the day when Nicholas Wolfe tells me that he's going to a concert with his junior, Madeline Cross.

"I'm heading over to the venue right now. I can't let Madeline wait for me, after all."

Nicholas sounds so casual, as though he's talking about the weather.

I arrange my textbooks neatly before putting them into my bag. "Okay."

My response leaves Nicholas stunned. He pauses in the middle of typing a text to Madeline before raising his head to look at me.

"Madeline and I are about to watch the concert performed by The Paxleys, your favorite band. Are you… not mad at me at all?"

I zip my bag while replying calmly, "Nope."

I've begged Nicholas 99 times to watch the concert with me. On the 100th time, he finally buys two tickets… for himself and Madeline.

I'm not surprised in the slightest.

Ever since Madeline transferred to our university, I've started to get used to Nicholas prioritizing her over me.

I sling my bag onto my shoulder and begin making my way to the classroom's exit.

Nicholas doesn't move an inch. But when I'm about to leave, he catches up with me and grips my wrist.

"Lia, we'll travel to Sorenton three days later. The Paxleys will be holding another concert there. I'll attend that concert with you.

"That day is our third-year anniversary, so I definitely won't bail out on you."

I look down at Nicholas' hand that's gripping me, then I look up at him. This time, my lips curl into a smile.

"Okay."

Over the past six months, Nicholas has promised me to do things "next week" nine times, and said "I'll definitely show up" 13 times, and "don't worry" 16 times.

But he's bailed out on me every single time he makes plans with me.

Next week, we won't be attending the concert together, that's for sure. After all, I'm the one bailing on him this time.

My phone buzzed with a text from my brother, Elliot Quinn.

"How are the plans for studying abroad coming along? What about Nicholas? Is he not going?"

I stared at the screen for a couple of seconds before replying, "No idea. It's got nothing to do with me."

Elliot replied with a voice message, his voice sounding grave through my earbuds. "What's going on? Did he do something to you?"

A faint smile graced my lips as I texted back. "No. I'm just done waiting."

And I truly was.

The first time I asked Nicholas Wolfe to go to a concert with me, Madeline Cross, a freshman in his faculty, said she had gotten lost.

I waited at the venue entrance until the show ended, then took the bus home alone.

The second time, Madeline said her club was short on people for an event, so Nicholas ditched me right at the ticket gate and rushed back to campus without looking back once.

Every single time after that, Madeline always had some excuse to lure Nicholas away.

I begged him 99 times to go to a concert with me, and we never once made it.

He finally made it on the 100th try, only because he was taking Madeline.

Elliot didn't press the issue.

I tucked my phone away and looked up, surprised to find Nicholas waiting for me.

"Why haven't you left yet?" I asked.

Nicholas blinked, seemingly caught off guard by my tone. He went quiet for a moment before saying, "Look, you don't have to act like this. I haven't forgotten my promise. I know how much you love photography. I'll buy you a camera tomorrow, and you can use it when I take you to the concert."

He actually thought I was just throwing a tantrum.

And apparently, he remembered how much I liked taking pictures.

I smiled. "There's no need for that, Nicholas. We should—"

Before I could get the words "break up" out of my mouth, a soft, dainty voice chirped from beside him.

"Nicholas, we should get going. If we don't leave now, we'll miss the start of the show. You can't back out now. You've never stood me up before."

I looked up and caught the provocative glint flickering in Madeline's eyes.

Nicholas turned back to me. "Anyway, I'm heading out. Get home safe."

He turned to leave.

He hadn't taken more than a few steps before my phone chimed with a text from him.

"You were pretty well-behaved today. I like that. I'll bring you some cake when I get back."

I looked up and watched as Nicholas and Madeline's figures disappeared into the distance.

I thought to myself, "Nicholas, I'm not being 'well-behaved'. I just don't like you anymore."

And this time, I really wasn't going to wait.

When I got back to the dorm, I started drafting my application for a leave of absence.

My roommates had bought plenty of snacks and alcohol to give me a proper send-off, and as everyone gathered around the table, our resident assistant suddenly sighed.

"What am I supposed to do once you leave? You and Nicholas were my favorite power couple."

"Exactly," another roommate chimed in. "Everyone on campus knows you two are a couple. Even the professors were cheering for you guys when you made it official. Why did you decide to leave all of a sudden?"

My mind drifted back to the day Nicholas asked me out.

He had just won the campus singing contest. Holding a trophy and a bouquet in his arms, he pulled me up onto the stage.

Then, in front of hundreds of people, he dropped to one knee.