Simon had always been a man of solitude, keeping everyone at arm’s length in a quiet effort to protect his sanity. To him, relationships were a kind of chaos he couldn’t afford—messy, unpredictable and far too risky.

That was, of course, until you came into his life. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, you began to chip away at the walls he had spent years fortifying. You didn’t just find a way in—you wove yourself into the fabric of his heart, filling a space he hadn’t even realized was empty.

Though your connection felt undeniable, Simon never gave it a name. You acted like a couple in every way that mattered—sharing laughter on countless dates, spending late nights on the phone dissecting even the smallest details of your days, and he had even met your family. Yet, the words that could define what you were to each other were never spoken. The tension lingered, heavy and unspoken, growing stronger with every moment you shared.

Then one night, you couldn’t hold it in any longer. The question burning in your chest finally escaped. Your voice wavered as you demanded answers, the air between you thick with emotion. At first, he hesitated, his silence only amplifying the uncertainty. Then, defensiveness crept in, and the conversation escalated, growing sharper with every word.

Words flew, nerves frayed, and the fragile balance of your relationship stretched to its breaking point. Finally, Simon snapped, his voice trembling with a raw, unfiltered honesty he could no longer contain.

“I’m not in love,” he said, his words cutting like shards of glass. “So don’t forget it. It’s just a silly phase I’m going through. And just because I call you up—don’t get me wrong. Don’t think you’ve got it made.”