‘I don’t think this is working.’ Nicole said quietly as they sat apart on the sofa. She hadn’t meant to say it at that moment, even though she had been thinking it for a while.

What she had wanted to do was let him down gently, make sure her words were soft and that he knew that it was nothing he had done, she just didn’t feel the same way anymore. She needed him to understand that she had done all she could to reignite the fire she had once felt for him, but now all that was left was an dying ember, a respectful caring feeling that made her want to do this properly.

Not that she could now, it was too late for that. Those fateful stinging words had been spoken. Now he sat across from her, looking at her with hurt filled eyes and mouth agape. He had not been expecting that.

To Simon everything had been going smoothly, there was no hint to him that anything had changed. Her attempts to shield him from her disappearing feelings had worked too well. But now as he looked at her with her sorrowful eyes staring out at him from their corners, he knew that she had meant it.

Awkwardly he shifted in his seat, not knowing what to say. There were no words left after those, nothing that he could do to change them. So slowly he rose to his feet and left her alone on the sofa.

(c) Nikki McLean 2011