About two weeks later, Dahlia sat at a table across from a blond man at the local In-N-Out. They were finally out eating together, something they hadn't done in months.

“What?” 

“I said, I have to leave. I’m sorry. I’m moving.” Dahlia stared at him as he nervously fiddled with the fries on his side. He wasn't looking up at her.

“I heard what you said, I just can’t believe it.” She frowned, heart pounding. What was she supposed to say to that? She watched him for his reaction. He looked uncomfortable—and he should, the dick! —as he started to fiddle with the burger wrapper. She took in the light blonde hair that fell around his ears, thick eyebrows, blue eyes that seemed to look everywhere except her. “I thought that was just an idea?” He had mentioned to her that he wanted to move because work wasn't that great in this area.

“I was serious. I don’t see any possible job opportunities in this town. I’m moving back to the city.” He finally looked at her, eyes dark. “I told you.” Like that made it any better.

“You said you were thinking about it!” She snapped. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and counted to ten. She would not be one of those girls that liked to cause scenes in public places. She would not. “How soon?” She finally asked, looking up at him with as much coldness as she could put into her stare. She hadn't put much attention to his words as he had made it seem such an offhand comment. He had talked about places he'd like to work before, but the last comment he had made about it had been just that, a comment. 

“Sunday..." He watched her reaction. She wasn't one of those psycho girls that got mad at everything, quite the opposite. Some times he would wonder if she even cared about him at all, she could just be so...emotionless. Maybe it was a nurse thing? But this time it was different, he knew that she would be upset.

She snapped back to him, eyes wide in confusion. “This Sunday?”

“Yes. I thought... maybe you wanted to help me? Pack and stuff?” He gave her a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He gave up, shaking his head. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Dahlia shook her head at him in disbelief. She didn’t even know him anymore. This was the guy that she’d been with for the last three years, and now he was leaving? Who was he?

They  met at a meeting for the local university. She was helping at a booth the hospital had set up, and he was at a booth for the university clinic. They’d hit it off right away, going on dates for a while until they’d made it official as a couple. Three years later, he was finishing his degree, she had finished hers before he did. They were going to be a nice, sweet, educated couple... Now she didn’t know what to say.

“I don’t think I will.” Taking a deep breath, she began pulling on her jacket over her scrubs. She tossed her phone in her pocket. “I...think we need some time, Mark. I’m not really sure what to think right now.” 

She really some time to think because if she didn't, she would explode. 

He stood with her, a panicked look on his face. “What do you mean? Time as in... space? Or time as in... Are you breaking up with me?” He said the last part a rough whisper. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, blue eyes blazing.

“I’m not really sure what I mean, actually.” She carried her tray over to the trashcan, Mark in tow as he continued to looked panicked and confused. She didn't really mean...?

“Dahlia, love-" he started, glancing at the people around them who gave them curious looks.

“Marcus, please. Stop.” She quickly walked out to her car. He followed suit and went to stand next to the driver’s door, staring at her as she turned it on. If he didn’t move, she’d run him over. She knew she was being dramatic, but part of her was aware that they hadn’t been alright for almost eight months now. Especially when he seemed to have more time for his grandma and her goddaughter who so happened to be over every single fucking time he visited his grandma.

“Are you serious?” Mark ran a hand nervously through his hair. “Dahlia, I’m just moving. It's not like I'm dying." So now that everything was shitty, she decided to show some emotion?

“Are you in love with her?” Dahlia whispered, wondering if he heard her since she could barely get the words out. He jumped, startled, and she noticed the way he flushed darkly. 

“What the hell, Dahlia? Where did that come from?” That wasn't a no.

She might not be the super genius her brother was, but she sure as hell was not an idiot. She’d seen the changes in him, how he was always talking about this girl whom she'd never heard of before when they'd started dating. He'd come back mentioning the stupid things she did, this and that. She had noticed how his visits to his grandmother’s house had become more frequent.

 “Please, don’t play me for a fool, Marcus. You’ve changed. Your eyes brighten whenever you talk about whatever random thing she’s done or said.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “You spend more time with her than you do with me. You don't text me anymore when you're on your lunch break, we live in the same damn apartment and it feels like I live alone."

He stared at her, looking confused and suddenly his eyes widened in realization of what she was telling him.

“Dahlia, I—”

“Don’t say it.” She put her hand up, asking him to be quiet. Asking him to hold on to the words that would only break her heart even more. “Don’t you think it’s better for us this way? I refuse to be in a relationship where I become the other one. I refuse to act like everything is okay when it is clearly not. I’ve seen the changes, I know the signs, for I've felt them, too. The goofy grins, the rambling on about nonsense—you were the same way with me when we first started out.” She whispered the last part, begging herself to not burst out crying. At what point had they fallen apart, fallen out of love? “If you were able to feel things for her... you were never really in love with me.”

“But, I was and am in love with you,” he said with a sad shake of his head. Of course he loved Dahlia, she was his first, they lived together. She was quirky, blunt, brave, but... That didn't exactly spell out wonderful love. “I don’t know... didn’t notice any of the things you mentioned before... But I see it now, that it’s true... Dahlia, do you even love me? Did you even love me as well? Because sometimes I swear it felt like I had become a chore, something so casual, something that was there to keep you from being bored or lonely. All you have done for the past year is work, you don’t even see your family. You barely see me, and when you do, all you do is talk about work.”

“You know my work is difficult.” She said as she looked at him. Was he going to play this game. She didn't complain about his work because she knew it was difficult as well. "You know I'm the freaking supervisor for a good number of nursing staff. It can get very hectic."

“But you don’t have to take it home.” Mark scratched his head, blushing a little, before adding, “Sometimes, I feel the only reason you let me touch you is because you think you have to. It’s like sleeping with a stranger.”

Dahlia gasped. He was going to bring that up, too? Wasn’t it enough that he pretty much told her they weren’t working out, now this as well?

“You leave me as soon as it’s over. We don’t even talk anymore.” She defended herself, because it was true. “You rush to the bathroom as if I'm something you don’t need to have upon your body. You know that hurts, right?”

“I am sorry, Dahlia. Sorry that I’ve hurt you. Sorry that it has come to this. I didn’t mean for it to happen, you know that. I really did love you, and probably will in my own way forever. But... we are not IN love anymore. We haven’t been for almost a year.” He gave her a sad look, watching her face brimming with emotions and unshed tears. She didn’t say anything, she wouldn’t say anything anymore, because she knew it was true. It just hurt to confirm it. He knew she wouldn't cry in front of him, she never had. Was that a nurse thing as well?

“I just hope she makes you happy.” She finally responded. “I just hope that if she doesn’t work out, that you can find someone who does and loves you like you need to be loved.” She turned back to stare at the dash. “And when you do find someone you care about, make sure she knows you do.”

“Lia...”

“Goodbye Marcus.” She said as she drove off, leaving him standing there as people looked on...

..

Dahlia called Mary Anne and asked her if she could possibly stay over the night.

She didn't want to go home. She didn't want to go back to the place she'd spent the last years in with Marcus. Everything would hurt her. The things they had build together, bought together.

She texted him that she wouldn't go home that night if he wanted to get stuff packed. He simply replied okay. All the time she had spent hoping to get a reply back and it had come down to this. 

"OK." 

Not even the whole word.

 The last time she cried for anyone had been a high school boyfriend who had cheated on her. This was why she didn't let herself love anyone. This was why she kept her heart in a tight little box with a lock and key.

She felt like a fool. Her mother had told her to think it thoroughly before she decided to move in with him. She had been nice about it, she had respected her wishes, but she had still warned her.

What would her father say?

This was why she had trouble trusting people and kept to herself. She knew, deep inside that it hadn't all been Marcus' fault. She was greatly to blame as well. Her job kept her busy, made her stress out. And perhaps she wasn't the most affectionate person ever... But she tried.

She remembered the last time they'd been together, when he buried his face against her shoulder, hadn't really made eye contact with her. When it was done, he'd rolled off and headed to the shower.

She'd laid in bed staring at the ceiling wondering what she had done.

She hated herself. 

He had come back to bed, but neither had spoken anymore besides wishing each other goodnight. He hadn't tried to hug her, or touch her anymore. They'd laid on their sides facing away from each other as the silence grew heavier between them.

Thank God she hadn't been a fool enough to get herself pregnant by him! She couldn't bear to think about the pain and even greater heartbreak she would be feeling now.

She hadn't cried in so long, but for the first time in a couple years, she cried herself to sleep that night.

...

Mary Anne listened to her friend crying through the door. 

She wanted to go to her and comfort her, but she knew she needed some space. Dahlia had always been more serious, and was almost a closed book when it came to her feelings.

But she could see the pain in her eyes, in her voice as she sobbed into her pillow. Mary Anne understood very well what Dahlia was suffering, as she was no stranger to heartbreak either.

She wiped her tears away and headed to her room to try and get some sleep as well. It wouldn't do good to sit around and cry, making Dahlia feel worse.

She laid in silence, praying that something good came to Dahlia's life. She needed love. She needed someone who would truly love her. She knew Dahlia was strong, had always been stronger, but this time... She had been broken.

Mary Anne prayed-- what else could she do at this point-- until she passed out and somewhere up there, someone heard her.

...