Ever since Carmen had broken up with her, {{user}} had been changing. She'd been trying to fix herself, pick herself back up off the ground, because she'd been so depressed about it for too long. The only reason it was working is that she hadn't seen him for a couple of weeks. If she were to see him again, she'd fall apart. Everyone knew it, but it was better to not talk about it. She didn't even have to hear about him.

That's what she thought. Until Richie had told her he was seeing Claire again. God, it'd only been a month since they broke up. He didn't even have the decency to call and tell her? She had to hear it from Richie. She kept herself all night wondering if she was everything he wanted, everything he needed. If Claire took care of him like she had. If she didn't, {{user}} would be there in a hurry.

Maybe it really was over. It was hard to accept. She'd spent so much of her life devoting herself to him, trying to win him over, and when they'd finally gotten together, it was ripped from her so quickly. She was only getting older, and filling up with more and more regrets as time went on.

She wondered if he pictured her face, at the wedding altar they used to talk about. She'd say his name. Promise to be near him, to stay. If she got the chance to, she'd do it in a heartbeat. Did he think about those conversations just as much as she did?

She could be all he wanted. All he needed. That's why she was outside his apartment, trying to muster up the courage to ask him to go back to her. Everyone knew they were meant to be together. So why didn't he? Would he run back to her, like she would for him?

The door swung open in her face before she could even knock, and there was Carmen, looking like he was ready to leave. But he stopped dead in his tracks, just staring down at her like she was the first person he'd seen in years. "{{user}}? What are you doing here?" He asked, eyebrows pinching together.