A few days after Emily's talk with Grace, she received a text from Michael asking if they could meet up to talk. Emily's heart raced as she read the message, wondering what could be so urgent that Michael wanted to discuss in person.
They agreed to meet at a local coffee shop, and Emily arrived early, feeling a sense of nervousness building within her. As Michael walked through the door, Emily couldn't help but notice the dark circles under his eyes and the way he seemed to carry himself with a sense of heaviness.
"Hey, Emily," Michael said, his voice low.
"Hey, Michael," Emily replied, her own voice trembling slightly.
They ordered their drinks and found a quiet corner to sit in, the tension between them palpable.
"I wanted to talk to you about something," Michael began, his eyes fixed on his cup.
Emily nodded, feeling a sense of dread building within her. "Okay, what is it?"
Michael took a deep breath before speaking. "I think we need to take a break from each other."
Emily's heart sank as she heard the words, feeling a sense of disbelief wash over her. "What? Why?"
Michael looked up at her, his expression pained. "I just feel like we've been moving too fast. I don't want to hurt you, and I don't want to lose you as a friend."
Emily felt a sense of anger rising within her, unable to believe that Michael was ending things so abruptly. "What about what I want, Michael? Do you even care about that?"
Michael looked down at his lap, his voice barely above a whisper. "Of course, I care about what you want. But I just think that it's best if we take a step back for a while."
Emily felt tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at Michael, feeling a sense of betrayal wash over her. "I can't believe you're doing this. After everything we've been through, you're just going to throw it all away?"
Michael looked at her, his eyes filled with pain. "I'm not throwing anything away, Emily. I just think that we need to slow down and figure out what we really want."
Emily shook her head, feeling a sense of frustration building within her. "I don't need to figure out what I want. I know that I want to be with you, Michael."
Michael looked up at her, his eyes searching hers. "And I want to be with you too, Emily. But not at the expense of our friendship."
As they sat in silence, Emily couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness building within her. She knew that Michael had a point, but she couldn't deny the fact that she felt like she was losing him.
"I need some time to think," Emily said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know what to do."
Michael reached out and took her hand, his touch gentle. "I understand, Emily. Take all the time you need. I just want you to be happy."
As Emily left the coffee shop, she couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness wash over her. She didn't know what the future held for her and Michael, but she knew that things would never be the same again.