I woke up the next morning filled with unrelenting dread. I forced myself to eat something and get ready for the day, but I knew that I was never going to be fully prepared for what I was about to do. I put on my coat and threw on a beanie, not having the energy to deal with the rat's nest on my head, and grabbed my phone off the charger. I glanced at the screen to see two new messages. The first was from Addie, which I didn't want to read, but I forced myself to open it anyway.

Adelaide Winters: Hey, baby! My parents just left for church. If you come over soon, we can have some time alone before they get back. ;)

Ah, shit. I sighed, releasing a myriad of complex emotions that I didn't feel like unpacking in that moment. No, it's okay. It's probably a good thing that her parents won't be home for this.

The second message was from Connor, and just seeing his name gave me a slight reprieve from the anxiety I was feeling. As I read the message, all I could do was smile.

Connor Wells: Everything is going to be okay. I'm here for you.

I grabbed my mom's keys and peeked my head in the kitchen to see her focused intently on baking something I didn't recognize. She raised her head and opened her mouth to greet me when I quickly cut her off, "Mom, I've got to go see Addie for a little bit, but I'll be back soon, okay? I'm taking the car."

"Oh, Addie's back? That's great news! Take your time and be safe. Just make sure you and Clif are back here for dinner because I'm making both of your favorites tonight."

"Sure, Mom."

I pulled up to Addie's house a short time later. For a moment, I sat frozen, staring at the massive estate in front of me. Addie's parents were even more well off than my own, and even though I had visited this place countless times before, it still overwhelmed me after a month of not being here.

I walked up the intricately paved walkway and rang the doorbell, a knot forming in my stomach. Almost immediately, the door flew open and suddenly Addie was running toward me at me full speed. Before I could react, she tackled me in a hug, forcing me backward onto the neatly manicured lawn. She collected herself and sat up, straddling my waist, when she giggled, "Baby! I'm so happy to see you!"

"Addie, hey," I winced, silently assessing the damage from my unexpected tumble backward. When I realized that I wasn't hurt anywhere, I slid out from under Addie who was still situated awkwardly on top of me. She gestured for me to follow her into the house and up the stairs to her room. She locked the door behind her before moving in my direction, slower this time. When she finally stood in front of me, her hands wrapped gently around my neck as she leaned in for a kiss. When I realized what was happening, I threw my head to the side, dodging her confused gaze. "I'm so sorry, but we need to talk."

I stepped out of her embrace and started toward the bed to sit down, but opted for her velvet covered desk chair at the last second. I glanced up slowly to look at my girlfriend, who hadn't changed much since I'd last seen her. Addie's petite frame appeared slightly smaller than I remembered, and her straight, auburn hair was as fiery as ever, freckles popping out against her fair skin. Her large, doe eyes were looking at me with a saddened expression when I decided it was time.

"Addie, I think we should break up," I said quietly, pausing for her to say something. When she didn't speak, I continued, "I've been thinking about this for a long time, Addie. I'm sorry that I didn't do it sooner, but I thought it would be best for me to say this to you in person. You have been an incredible girlfriend to me, and I need you to know that this isn't because of anything you've done. I'm dealing with some confusing things right now that I need to sort out on my own, and it's not fair for me to string you along any longer. You deserve all the happiness in the world with someone who appreciates and deserves you. Unfortunately, that person isn't me."

Addie sat on her bed in silence for a long time just looking at me. The tears that had been welling up in her eyes finally pushed their way over the edge, spilling down her face and dropping onto her hands, which were placed neatly in her lap. I'm such an asshole, I thought, taking in her distressed state. I had been thinking about Addie's inevitable return simply as unfinished business, and in her absence, the sheer fact that she existed was annoying to me. Lost in my own narcissism, I had forgotten that Addie was a person--a person who loved me--and it suddenly hit me hard how shitty I had been.

"Is there someone else?" Addie asked between shaky breaths, pulling me out of my own head.

"Yes," I muttered, hating myself fiercely at that moment. I didn't regret my feelings for Connor, nor the time I had spent with him, but I hated how I knew it was going to make Addie feel.

"Oh," she whispered, her brows furrowing. "Do I know her?"

"No," I said, choosing not to elaborate further. I opened my mouth to speak again, but I was interrupted by the doorbell's obnoxiously loud chiming. Her parents wouldn't be ringing the doorbell, so who is it? I wondered to myself. "Should you get that?"

"Yeah, I should. You should probably go, Bo. I don't want to keep you here any longer," Addie squeaked through an awkward smile. She moved her hands to her face, wiping away the dampness from her cheeks. I studied her broken expression for a moment, trying to decide what I should do, when I finally nodded and followed her down to the front door. Addie sucked in a deep breath as she opened the door slowly, peeking through the gap to see who was standing outside.

"Holy shit! Addie, what's wrong?" I heard a familiar voice say. Fuck! It was Sarah. While part of me was glad that my ex-girlfriend would have someone to comfort her when I left, I absolutely did not want to see her. Addie pulled the door open all the way, revealing me to the concerned friend, and her eyes immediately shot in my direction. "What the fuck did you do, Bo Collins?!"

"Just stop, Sarah. I'm not in the mood for your shit right now," I huffed, shifting my gaze to Addie, who looked stressed and confused. "I'm going to go so you guys can talk, okay? Bye, Addie."

I bolted out the door without a single look back, and practically threw myself into my mom's car. I took a deep breath before backing out of the driveway and started in the direction of my parents' house. I fucking did it. I broke up with her. The self-hatred I was feeling began to fade slightly, as relief overwhelmed me, a weight lifting off my shoulders.

Parked at a red light, I typed out a quick message to Clif telling him he could come over. I went to put my phone back on the console, but decided to send another message first--this time, to Connor.

Me: It went as well as I could have hoped. It's over. We're over.