Chapter 2

"That's assuming Alice even gets into the same classes as we two," Madison said with a laugh.

She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand.

"Alice, didn't you spend, like, a fortune on tutoring just to keep your GPA up? I swear, I've never seen anyone work that hard to follow a boy to college."

Ethan's arm stiffened around me.

A few people laughed.

"That's some serious dedication," someone muttered.

I kept my eyes on the table.

They didn't know about the nights I'd stayed awake until three, rewriting essays and studying for AP exams until the words blurred.

Or how many weekends I'd spent with a tutor because I was terrified of falling behind.

I'd worked harder than anyone knew.

And somehow, all they saw was a girl who couldn't let go of a boy.

A few minutes later, someone announced that our table was ready, and we headed from the hotel lounge into the restaurant downstairs.

"Anyway, I'm starving," Madison announced, picking up the menu.

I reached for mine, but she took it before I could open it.

"Let me order for you, Alice. We'll be here all night if you have to decide." She flashed me a smile. "Ethan and I know what you like."

They bent over the menu together.

"Buffalo wings, shrimp tacos, and that seafood pasta," Ethan said. "There. Something for everyone."

I glanced down at the irritated patches on the back of my hand.

My dermatologist had told me to avoid foods that triggered my flare-ups, including shellfish.

I'd tried telling Ethan about it two weeks ago.

I'd asked him to drive me to my appointment because I wasn't feeling well.

He'd promised he would.

Then Madison invited him to play pool, and he left without me.

When I called, he'd sounded irritated.

"Alice, if it were that serious, you wouldn't have taken forever getting ready. Just call an Uber."

So I had.

I'd sat alone in the waiting room, listening to the doctor explain what I needed to avoid.

Ethan claimed he knew everything about me.

He didn't even know what I could eat anymore.

"Oh my God, you actually got them!"

A girl across the table squealed, pointing at Madison's phone.

"Those concert tickets sold out in minutes!"

Madison beamed. "Ethan managed to get us two seats together!"

My stomach dropped.

The concert.

I'd loved that singer since middle school.

Ethan knew that. He'd promised my first concert would be with him.

I looked at the tickets on Madison's screen.

Two seats. Side by side. Neither one was mine.

Ethan noticed me staring.

"Look, Alice, the presale was crazy. I could only get two tickets." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I can try resale if you want. You probably won't be sitting with us, though."

Madison's smile faded.

"Oh, Alice, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you wanted to go that badly."

She turned to Ethan.

"Maybe she can have mine."

"No." Ethan answered immediately.

Madison blinked.

"You've been talking about this concert for months," he told her. "You shouldn't have to give up your ticket."

Then he looked at me.

"Alice, don't make this a thing."

I hadn't said a word.

"I'm not," I replied.

"Then why do you look so upset?"

"I'm not going."

That was the truth. The concert was in Los Angeles, the weekend before UCLA's fall quarter began.

I'd be in Seattle by then.

Ethan leaned back with a frustrated sigh.

"Seriously? Now you're just being stubborn."

"I'm not—"

"Even if you got a ticket, you'd probably miss half the show trying to find your seat."

A couple of people chuckled.

He shook his head.

"You can't even make it somewhere on time when I'm picking you up."

Heat rushed to my face.

I'd spent the entire evening trying not to cry over a dance.

Now he was turning everything I hated about myself into a joke.

In front of everyone.

"Ethan, that's enough," I whispered.

He looked surprised.

"What? I'm kidding."

But nobody was laughing anymore.

A server arrived with our food, and the conversation moved on.

Ethan slid the seafood pasta toward me.

"Here. You like this."

I stared at the shrimp scattered across the plate.

He'd forgotten. Again.

Later, when he thought I wasn't looking, he carefully pushed the shrimp aside and twirled a forkful of pasta onto my plate.

Like that was supposed to make everything better.

I left it untouched.

I'd spent years accepting these tiny gestures as proof that Ethan cared.

Tonight, they just made me tired.

The music in the lounge grew louder as more of our classmates joined the table.

Ryan leaned back in his chair, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"Okay, we've all been wondering about this for years. Graduation night seems like a good time to finally ask."

He pointed between the three of us.

"So, who's actually dating who? Ethan, are you with Madison or Alice? And who's the third wheel?"

Ethan froze.

Then, without thinking, he glanced at me.

That one look was all it took.

The table erupted.

"Holy shit, I knew it!" someone shouted. "Alice's been third-wheeling this whole time!"

"Guess the childhood best friend lost to the new girl!"

Ryan burst out laughing.

"Come on, Ethan. When did you finally ask Madison out?"