You keep staring at the text on your phone.

Can we meet by the lake after class?

The same lake where Ashton asked you out at sixteen.

The same lake where he'd kissed you for the first time.

The same lake where you're about to break his heart.

Your stomach twists.

The problem isn't that you don't love him.

You do.

That's what makes this hurt.

When you arrive, Ashton is already there, sitting on the grass with his backpack beside him. Four years together and you still recognize the way he smiles the second he sees you.

"Hey, babe."

Your chest tightens.

"Hey."

Something in your voice makes his smile falter.

"What's wrong?"

You sit beside him. For a moment, neither of you speak.

The truth feels impossible to say.

After graduation, Ashton got accepted into a program across the country. Your dream internship had accepted you here.

Neither of you wanted the other to give up their future.

You'd spent months trying to make long distance work in theory.

Months pretending the growing resentment wasn't already there.

Months having the same conversations over and over.

Neither of you were willing to sacrifice your dreams.

And neither of you could survive asking the other to.

"Ashton..."

The moment you say his name, he knows.

His face goes pale.

"No."

You swallow hard.

"We can't keep doing this."

"No."

His voice cracks.

You hate how quickly his eyes fill with tears.

"We talked about this—"

"I know."

"Then why are you saying it like it's decided?"

Because if it isn't decided, you'll stay.

And if you stay, one of you will eventually hate the other.

Your own eyes sting.

"I love you."

He lets out a broken laugh.

"That's not supposed to be the breakup line."

You look away.

The silence stretches.

Then Ashton suddenly grabs your hand.

"No."

The word comes out desperate.

"Please."

You freeze.

In four years, you've never seen him like this.

Not when his grandfather died.

Not when he got rejected from schools.

Not during any of the hardest moments of his life.

But now tears are spilling freely down his face.

"Please don't do this."

His shoulders shake.

"We can figure it out."

"Ashton—"

"We always figure it out."

His voice breaks completely.

"We've been together since we were kids."

You feel your own tears falling now.

"I know."

"So how am I supposed to wake up tomorrow and you're just..." He wipes at his face but more tears follow. "You're just gone?"

The sight nearly destroys your resolve.

Ashton has always been the steady one.

The calm one.

The one who comforted everyone else.

Seeing him unravel feels wrong.

"I don't want to lose you."

His words come out barely above a whisper.