All Chapters of Leaving Before He Breaks His Promise Again: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

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

Chapter 2

"Lia, I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?" Nicholas asked.The crowd was screaming and cheering, and even the professors were leading the applause.Back then, no one would've guessed that our relationship would come to an end in just three years.The party wrapped up around midnight.I was a little tipsy, so after a quick shower, I collapsed onto my bed and started scrolling through my phone. Just then, one of Madeline's Instagram posts popped up.She had tagged me specifically."Huge thanks to Nicholas for helping out with the play. Supper's on me!"The photo showed a table overflowing with barbecue. Nicholas sat beside Madeline, his head lowered as he carefully cut the steak for her.I knew right then that the visit he promised me tonight wasn't happening.I closed the app, opened my laptop, and checked my inbox.My application to that top-tier university abroad had been accepted. I replied to confirm I'd be there on time and booked a flight abroad for two days later.…

Chapter 3

"What's the matter?" I asked.Nicholas held out a cake box. "I said I'd bring you one yesterday."I froze for a second, having completely forgotten about his offer to buy me dessert. I honestly hadn't expected him to remember.But a moment later, Nicholas cleared his throat, his tone shifting into something cautious, almost like he was trying to negotiate."Lia, about the spot in this year's competition, could you—""Give it to Madeline?" I finished for him.He looked a bit sheepish, clearly not expecting me to be so blunt. "Madeline is up for a scholarship right now and really needs this award on her résumé. But you've already won it several times…"Madeline added with a smile, "Aurelia, this is from one of my favorite bakeries. We happened to be passing by, so I thought I'd grab one for you to try."I looked at the defiant glint in her eyes and the way the two of them stood shoulder-to-shoulder.It was clear that this casual gift had come with a hidden price tag.When I did

Chapter 4

I couldn't be bothered to look at it, so I turned off my phone.I followed the crowd onto the plane, and once we took off, the horizon slowly dipped until nothing was left but a sea of milky-white clouds.The anxiety that had been gnawing at me suddenly began to lift.Maybe I really had spent too much of my life focusing on Nicholas, for I'd never even noticed the beautiful scenery right in front of me.…48 hours later, the plane touched down.The second I took my phone out of Do Not Disturb mode, a fresh wave of messages bombarded my screen.Nicholas, who always used to claim that texting was too much of a chore, had sent over 99 text messages.The calls came one after another, and a new one started ringing right then.I hit decline and checked my call history instead, where I found several missed calls from Elliot and my parents."Lia, have you landed? Have you found a place to stay yet? Make sure you stay safe out there alone. If you run into any trouble, give us a call.

Chapter 5

"Lia, the academic advisor told me you went abroad. When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?" Nicholas questioned. "Weren't we supposed to go together? Weren't you going to wait until I passed the certification test?"I was speechless.I had said something like that before.Back when our relationship was at its best, I had leaned against his shoulder and asked if he wanted to go abroad with me.Nicholas hadn't given me a straight answer.Instead, he smiled and said, "But I haven't passed the certification test yet."Without thinking, I had replied, "I'll wait for you."Nicholas looked at me but said nothing, quickly shifting his gaze elsewhere.I followed his eyes, and my heart sank. Standing there were the members of the drama club. Madeline was tucked in the center, and she was looking over at us, too.They shared a long, silent look, while I was the only one who looked like I didn't belong.Pulling myself out of the memory, I closed the voicemail, then blocked and d

Chapter 6

Nicholas pulled out his phone, desperate to show me the proof.But I took a step back, avoiding the screen he was shoving toward my face."You don't have to show me anything," I said. "We're already broken up."Nicholas froze where he stood, looking completely lost. "Please don't say that, Lia. We've been together for three years. We can't just end things because you said so. I'm already signing up for the certification test. Just wait for me a little longer, okay?"There it was again. That word."Nicholas, why should I have to stay right where you left me and wait for you over and over again?" I questioned. "The first time, you said Madeline needed directions and asked me to wait, so I did. The second time, you said her club needed help, and I waited then, too. I waited for you a hundred times, and you're still asking me to wait."Nicholas scrambled to grab my hand. "No! You don't have to wait! That's not what I meant. It must've come out wrong. You just do whatever you want t

Chapter 7

Only after I told him he didn't have to be so careful did Nicholas finally step inside. He gathered the books one by one, stacking them neatly on the coffee table.I handed him a glass of warm water.As he gripped the glass, he suddenly spoke up. "This reminds me of your room during senior year. Reference books were scattered everywhere, all covered in your meticulous notes."I sat down across from him. "Well, I was aiming for Jeston University."Something seemed to occur to Nicholas, and the smile on his face slowly dropped.I paused, realizing we were both thinking the same thing.Back when our SAT results were released, my score was five points higher than the admission cutoff for Jeston University.I didn't go.To stay with him, I enrolled in a local university instead.The silence stretched on until Nicholas ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, Lia. I… I've spent the past few days thinking. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I never really considere

Chapter 8

That night, I had a dream.I dreamt that I was back in high school. A boy sat beside me, his head resting on the desk, his ears flushed scarlet."Hey, Aurelia," he whispered. "Which university are you aiming for?"Without a second thought, I answered earnestly, "I'm applying to Jeston University."Nicholas stayed silent for a long time before clicking his tongue. "That's a tough goal. Guess I'd better start grinding through more practice exams then."I burst out laughing.Deep down, though, I thought it was fine.No matter where Nicholas ended up, I'd find him. After all, I'd spent my entire high school life secretly in love with him.As long as I loved him, I was willing to sacrifice everything, even if that meant turning myself into the kind of girl he liked just to catch his attention, and even if it meant waiting for him a hundred times just to see him turn around.Back then, I had all the reckless courage of youth.The dream began to warp and distort. A final teardrop so

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