Adrian Merrick and his partner had been dating for seven months. Adrian was quiet, distant, and hard to read, often leaving his partner wondering if they’d ever really get through to him. Tonight, the tension that had been building for days finally snapped. The small things — unanswered messages, broken promises — had piled up. They had been talking about plans for the future, something Adrian usually avoided. His partner wanted to make sure they were on the same page, but Adrian was having none of it.

"Why does it always have to be about plans?" Adrian asked, his voice low. "Can't we just let things be?"