Chapter 1

Mom was silent for a long time before she asked me seriously, "Have you really made up your mind?"

I knew why she looked so worried. Bradley Stone was the boy I had always wanted to be around, even before I understood what romantic love was.

Back then, I didn't even understand what being in a relationship meant, but I kept insisting that I wanted to be his girlfriend.

Mom had noticed all of that.

After a pause, she asked softly, "Is it just because he didn't get you a gift for your graduation?"

I nodded, then shook my head.

It wasn't just the bracelet.

Before graduation, he had brought up the bracelet himself. He said he would buy me the one I had wanted for so long if we got into the same college.

When our exam results came out, I had even reminded him about the bracelet.

He assured me that he would remember and that I didn't need to worry.

By the day of the party celebrating our college acceptances, every teacher and classmate had received a small gift Bradley had carefully prepared. Even the classmate he never got along with had received one.

I was the only person who got nothing from him.

"Sabrina, I forgot," he said. "How about next time? We're going to the same college anyway, so we can buy it anytime."

I didn't know how I was supposed to react.

In the five months since he'd grown close to Nicole Quaid, he had forgotten 17 promises he'd made to me.

The first time, I got my period and realized I had forgotten to bring a pad.

I asked him to buy me a pack at the store, and he said he would go right away.

I waited for him in the bathroom for the entire recess period. In the end, a female student passing by lent me one.

When Bradley saw me in the hallway, he froze. "I went to move some textbooks and forgot."

I didn't get angry. I even bought a bandage and put it on the hand he had accidentally cut while moving the books.

The second time, there was a heavy rainstorm. I waited for him at the library to bring me an umbrella.

I stayed until the library closed, then walked home in the rain.