It had been building up for weeks. Dalton could feel it, the weight of everything that had been left unsaid between them. The distance, the silence, the promises that were slipping away—all of it was pushing him to the edge. He had tried to keep it together, to be patient and understanding, but his mind was unraveling. He couldn't take it anymore.
One night, after yet another day of barely hearing from Vanessa, he finally broke down. It wasn't planned—the words just spilled out of him, raw and unfiltered. They were on the phone, talking about something mundane, but Dalton couldn't hold it in any longer. His voice cracked, his frustration pouring out as he told her how much it hurt.
"I can't do this anymore." Dalton said, his voice trembling. "It feels like you don't care. I've been trying so hard, but it feels like... like I'm just not enough for you."
Vanessa was silent on the other end of the line. For a moment, Dalton thought she might hang up, but then she spoke, her voice quiet but firm. "I've been holding this in for a long time, Dalton," she said. "I haven't felt appreciated. I haven't felt loved. It's like... like you're too focused on your own insecurities to see what's been going on with me."
Her words hit Dalton like a brick. He sat there, stunned, unable to believe what he was hearing. "What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice shaking. "I've done everything I can to show you how much I love you. I've always been here for you."
Vanessa sighed, her tone cold and distant. "You might think that, but it's not how I feel. You don't understand what I've been going through. I've tried to be patient, but... I don't feel loved, Dalton. I don't feel appreciated."
Dalton's heart pounded in his chest. How could she say that? How could she believe that after everything they'd been through, after everything he had done to keep their relationship alive? "I love you, Vanessa." he said desperately, his voice growing louder. "I've always loved you. And if we both want this, nothing—nothing—can end what we have. I'll do whatever it takes to make you feel loved. Just tell me how."
For the next hour, Dalton poured his heart out to her, laying everything on the line. He told her all the reasons he loved her—the way she laughed, the way she cared about others, the way she had always been there for him when he needed her most. He told her that he couldn't imagine a future without her, that if they both worked on it, they could fix things. They could still make it work.
His words tumbled out, barely giving her time to respond. He listed every memory they had shared—the first time he noticed her drawing in middle school, the way her hair fell over her eyes when she was deep in thought, the warmth of her smile when she teased him over 8-ball games. He reminded her of their plans—the life they had talked about building together. He painted a picture of their future, one where they could overcome this distance and be stronger for it.
But Vanessa didn't respond the way he had hoped. Her silence stretched out between them, growing heavier with every second. "I need time, Dalton..." she said finally. "I just... I need to think about things."
Dalton's heart sank. Time. She needed time. He tried to be supportive, to give her the space she asked for, even though every second apart from her felt like it was tearing him apart. He forced himself to smile every time she texted, pretending everything was fine, even though the weight of her silence was crushing him.
But the space between them only widened. No calls came. She sent brief messages here and there, just enough to keep him hanging on, but the warmth—the closeness that had once defined their relationship—was gone. The silence was deafening, and Dalton was left alone with his thoughts, wondering where things had gone wrong.
His mental state hit an all-time low. He couldn't sleep, couldn't focus on his work. Every moment he wasn't hearing from her felt like another step toward losing her for good. He replayed their conversations in his mind, trying to figure out what he could have done differently, where he had failed. The fear of losing her consumed him, and no matter how hard he tried to push it aside, it only grew stronger with every passing day.
***
Two weeks passed.
Then, the message came.
It wasn't a phone call, or even a long explanation. Just a few simple words that shattered everything.
"I think we should break up."
Dalton stared at the message, his heart racing, his hands shaking. No. This couldn't be happening. He immediately called her, desperate to hear her voice, to understand why she was doing this. And when she finally picked up, he poured out his heart again, begging her to reconsider.
"Vanessa, please.." he said, his voice cracking with emotion. "We can fix this. I love you. I can't lose you. Just tell me what I need to do, and I'll do it."
But her voice was cold, distant. "I've made up my mind, Dalton." she said firmly. "I've thought about this for a long time. I don't think we're right for each other anymore."
Dalton was devastated. He pleaded with her, telling her over and over how much he loved her, how much she meant to him. He reminded her of the memories they shared, the promises they had made, the dreams they had talked about. But no matter what he said, it didn't change anything. Vanessa had already steeled her resolve, perhaps even long before this moment. Maybe even a year before, when things had first started to fall apart.
As the conversation went on, Vanessa began to unload everything she had been holding back. "I've been thinking about this for a while, Dalton." she said, her tone growing sharper. "I never really planned on marrying you. I didn't see a future for us. You're insecure. You've always been insecure. And it's not what I want."
Each word felt like a dagger. Dalton's heart shattered as he listened to her tear down everything he had believed about their relationship. She was taking everything he had thought they shared and ripping it apart, piece by piece.
"You're wrong.." he said, his voice breaking. "I-I wasn't insecure… I was just scared to lose you. Can't you see that? I've only ever been scared because I love you."
But Vanessa didn't seem to understand. To her, it was too late. She had already moved on in her mind, long before this conversation. And no matter how much Dalton begged, no matter how much he expressed his love, it didn't matter.
The relationship was over.
Vanessa had made her choice. And as Dalton sat there, the phone still pressed to his ear, he realized that the person he had loved for so long was no longer the same person. She had changed, and so had their relationship. The warmth that had once defined her voice, the care that had once been so evident in her actions—it was gone. She had turned cold, distant, as if the love they had once shared had been wiped from her memory.
"I'm sorry, Dalton." Vanessa said, her voice softening just slightly. "I didn't mean to hurt you. But I can't keep pretending that this is working. It's not."
Dalton felt a tear slip down his cheek as her words sank in. Pretending. That's what she had been doing—pretending to care, pretending to still feel something for him. All this time, while he had been fighting to keep their relationship alive, she had already given up.
The phone call ended with a final goodbye, but the pain lingered. Dalton sat there, staring at the empty screen, the silence in his room echoing the emptiness inside him. Everything they had built was gone, reduced to a broken promise, a memory that no longer held any meaning.
The person he had once shared his heart with was gone, and now, all he was left with were the shattered pieces of what they had once planned for their future. Dalton's worst fear had come true—he had lost her, and there was nothing he could do to change that.