He Promised Me Photos, She Got Them Instead Chapter 03

He Promised Me Photos, She Got Them Instead Chapter 03

My face burned with humiliation, and beneath the table, my hand curled into a tight fist.

Perhaps sensing my embarrassment, Dylan set his glass down hard.

“What are you all talking about? The three of us are just friends. That’s it.”

“Oh, just friends,” our class president drawled.

Madison quickly waved her hands. “Stop making things weird. My mom wouldn’t let me date in high school. She said I had to wait until college.”

Her supposed explanation only made everyone more excited.

“Oh, so the only reason you two haven’t dated is because Madison’s mom is strict. High school’s over now, so this is the perfect time to tell her how you feel!”

“Exactly. You two are obviously into each other. Don’t chicken out now, Dylan!”

More and more people joined in, but Dylan remained silent.

“Hannah, why do you look so upset when Dylan’s about to confess?”

My mind went completely blank.

Before I could figure out how to respond, one of Madison’s close friends spoke up.

“Dylan, a real friend wouldn’t get mad just because you started dating someone else. Right, Hannah?”

They had boxed me into a corner where saying no would make me look selfish and jealous.

All I could do was force a smile and nod. “Right. I wouldn’t.”

The moment the words left my mouth, Dylan’s expression darkened.

“I’m not the kind of person who confesses his feelings in front of a crowd.”

Madison’s disappointment was obvious, but she still laughed it off.

“Exactly. We’re just friends. Nothing more. Stop trying to make something out of it and let’s order already.”

With both of them steering the conversation away from the subject, our disappointed classmates finally settled back into their seats.

When the menu reached me, I instinctively held out my hand.

Madison took it before I could touch it and winked at me.

“Hannah, you take forever to decide. Dylan and I will order for you. We both know what you like anyway.”

Before I could object, the two of them had already lowered their heads and started discussing the food.

“Cajun shrimp pasta, Nashville hot chicken, and blackened fish tacos,” Dylan said before turning toward me. “One favorite for each of us.”

Then he passed the menu to the next person.

I looked down at the hives on my hands and gave a bitter nod.

I did love blackened fish tacos, but my doctor had told me to avoid seafood and spicy food until the hives cleared.

I had asked Dylan to go to the clinic with me that day. Because I came downstairs one minute late, he had left to play pool with Madison instead.

When I asked why he had not waited, he acted as though his reasoning made perfect sense.

“If it were actually serious, you wouldn’t be moving this slowly. The fact that you’re taking your time proves it isn’t urgent.”

So I went to the clinic alone, checked in, and saw the doctor.

“Wow, Dylan! You and Madison actually got Taylor Swift tickets!”

A classmate’s excited shout pulled me out of my memories.

At that, I opened Instagram and froze.

Dylan and Madison had posted within minutes of each other, and both photos showed the same pair of tickets.

The person who had promised to go with me to my first-ever concert had never even tried to get me a ticket.