Start.

+ 17 +

"What were you two doing together?" Daniel asks as he and I walk slowly around campus.

"Nothing." I reply honestly, finding his hand and lifting his arm up to drape over my shoulder. "We ended up meeting coincidently, that's all." I look up at him as he just nods and keeps his gaze ahead. "Is everything okay?" I ask. "You haven't been yourself recently."

My eyebrows furrow as I as he lifts his arm from my shoulder and takes my hand. "Let's sit there." He motions towards one of the benches by the central lawns, and pulls me towards it.

We sit opposite each other, though neither one of us speaks as my mind works in overdrive trying to think what this sudden change in Daniel's behaviour is all about. I feel my heart plummet as my mind goes back to the thoughts I had earlier today about him not wanting to do the long-distance thing anymore or what if he's found someone else his college, or maybe he just doesn't want to be in a relationship at the moment.

"I have something to tell you." He speaks up suddenly, his voice slightly croaky from the minimal words he's produced since he came.

"Okay." It's not okay though, because his features and tone of voice don't promise any good news.

"A while back we had these foreign exchange flyers up around campus, and I didn't think anything of it, but one of my lecturers- you know the one I really told you I like." I nod my head subconsciously as he continues, "Yeah well he suggested I should sign up for the programme, he said it would be a great opportunity for my research and would look good on my CV." He trails off into silence, and I'm left with only one conclusion.

"You're going." The words leave my lips in a whisper, maybe because I don't want to here them or believe that they're true.

"Yeah." He nods, reaching from my hands on the bench top and clasping them within his.

"Where to?" I can't hide the sadness in my voice, nor do I want to. I'm upset and it's perhaps selfish that I am, but I want him to know that.

"Germany."

"For how long?"

"Three years." Three years? My lips part in disbelief and my frown deepend between my eyebrows.

"What about us? Do you get holidays? How often will they b-"

"I don't expect you to wait three years for me Bre." Like a bullet aimed at my chest, his words hit hard and disperse like shards in my body.

"What?" I shake my head and slip my hands from his grip.

"It's unfair and selfish to make you wait."

"Why didn't you tell me when you were applying, we could've talked about this."

"Because I knew you wouldn't be all for it."

"So you thought the best thing was to just break up?" My bottom lip quivers as I try to keep myself from getting stupidly emotional.

"No, but it's an opportunity I can't throw up. If you were given a chance like this wouldn't you take it?"

"I'd at least talk to you about it before deciding to move to another country." I can't help the bitter tone that drips with my words as I wrap my arms around my body.

"It all happened so fast, I didn't have time-"

"Is that why you were ignoring my calls and texts?"

"I wanted to tell you in person." I just nod, running out of anything to argue about and simply nodding my head.

"When are you leaving?" I ask, though I don't really want to know the response.

"Two days from now." He sighs and rakes his hands through his hair. My chest deflates further. and without another words, I stand.