We're going to need more than five minutes

Are you breaking up with me?

When she eventually pulled up in front of his house, it was pouring rain. How very fitting... And she remembered, when she had left Fred, it had been raining too. But it was Canada and raining almost all the time, so it hadn't struck her as noteworthy back then. This, on the other hand...

She switched off the engine and took a deep breath. And another one. Trying to gather her thoughts as best she could. What was she even going to say? How should she begin? Damn, breaking up was really nothing she'd been missing in her life.

Suddenly, she heard a knock on the window of her car, and it was like she got violently dragged out of a daydream. It was darker now, and a look at the time told her that almost a full hour had passed with her just sitting in her car in front of his house staring into the distance.

She could barely make out his facial features in the twilight behind the traces the rain left on the glass, but still she saw how happy he was to see her. She rolled down the window of the passenger seat and leaned over.

„Hey there", he said with a broad smile while protecting himself from the rain by holding his jacket above his head, and he even had to yell a little to make his voice carry across the patter on her roof, „I'm so sorry it took me so long! I was actually in a call with Julie and absolutely wanted to finish my statement before leaving. But I'm all packed now and ready to go. What are you doing here?"

Deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. Don't look him in the eyes, look through them. If you get caught in them, you'll never get out. Stay strong. You know it's for the best. Don't listen to how soft and warm his voice is. Don't fall for his smile. And whatever you do... don't let him touch you.

„Can I come in? I need to talk to you", she asked, barely smiling, looking strangely absent.

„Uhm", he turned around, confused by this question, to look at his house, standing there, dark, „I just closed down everything, I was on my way to my car when I saw yours standing here... Why don't we just go home and talk at your place?"

„I'd rather not if that's okay?"

He was clearly puzzled, but in the end, he shrugged. „Sure! Wait, I'll get you an umbrella."

„Don't worry!", finally a jerk went through her body, she could feel her limbs again and started to move, unfastened her seatbelt and got out of her car.

She walked past him towards the entrance through the rain and couldn't care less. She didn't mind being wet. She deserved being wet. He had to run to catch up with her, took out his keys and unlocked the door.

„Please", he said when opening it for her. He was worried, she didn't look good at all, and she hadn't even greeted him with a kiss as she usually did. Or at least a smile, „Can... can I offer you anything? Would you like..."

„Let's sit, okay?", she gave him an almost scary looking smile that failed to reach all the way up to her eyes, then walked straight into the living room to sit down on his couch, still dripping wet.

He hesitated for a moment, but then went ahead and did the same. He tried reaching for her hand, but she pulled it away.

„Are you alright, baby? You look pale... Did something happen?"

„Jordane, we need to talk."

„Of course, what's up?"

Even after having thought about the right words for almost an hour sitting in her car, plus the drive there, she was none the wiser, so she decided to just say it as it was. Like a band aid.

„I think we shouldn't see each other anymore."

He blinked a few times. „What?"

„This thing between us... it's not working out for me."