“Sorry for what?"

“I'm sorry that I'm holding you back. I'm sorry for getting things so serious, so quickly. I think I kind of steamrolled you that way."

"It's okay. I Love being with you."

“But you want to break up with me..."

“No!" E-Beth shrieked, and then threw herself into my arms. I looked up in confusion at Amber, who similarly was looking perplexed. "I don't... but I do. I- I don't know!" And then she was crying once again.

I REALLY didn't want to lose E-Beth. But I couldn't trap her any longer. If she only stayed out of obligation, things wouldn't work out in the end anyways. "I have to let you go, Elizabeth. If we are meant to be, we will find each other again."

She kept crying, sobbing into my shoulder. My shirt was already getting pretty damp. I held her away and she looked up at me through bleary eyes.

“You are beautiful." I ran my hand along her side and over the curve of her ass.

“Your fault."

"I can't take the credit. It was all you. You could do that for yourself, and you can do anything for yourself. Elizabeth, you should go out and do all the things you wanted to do, the things you couldn't do because of me. I can think of a couple frat boys you flirted with that would CERTAINLY like a second chance."

“But I AM happy with YOU," she pleaded.

“You're happy with me for now... But Amber is right. You'll always resent me if you don't break free. Maybe just a little bit, but it would be a crack in our relationship that would only grow and drive us apart down the road." I tried to be rational. "This is a great time to separate. You can go off to your internship. I go home to my family

Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." Outwardly, I was calm and assured.

E-Beth looked like she was about to accept it. She was wiping her eyes and calming down.

"Go, party, be as wild as you want to be," I told her.

“If we ever get back together... someday... you'll know it was because you really wanted me, without obligations. And you'll know that I want you for you, not just to replace Ellie."

She launched herself at me once last time, pressing those delectable breasts into my chest and kissing me with a fiercer passion than we'd had in months. ALL too quickly, she pulled back.

“Thank you, David. For everything."

Be careful what you wish for. You may just get it. And E-Beth and I were breaking up.

I managed to hold myself together until I dropped E-Beth off at the airport. She pecked me on the cheek and said goodbye. We both knew we'd see each other again the next fall. How would we look at each other? I didn't know.

It was important for me to appear calm and confident. If I'd fallen apart and showed any more sadness than my stoic tears, I'm pretty sure

E-Beth would've caved and promised to stay with me, forever, rather than cause me pain. It would have been out of obligation, and it wouldn't have been right.

So I held up my facade, and we parted on friendly terms. I didn't emotionally crash until I got back to the apartment.

Danielle and Cherys were in the middle of packing. They were shuttling in and out of their bedroom, standing up their big suitcases in the living room.

Cherys remarked, “Oh hey, you're back!"