:: Chapter (01) :: Where he gives everything he has "It's not working out, Trey." How many times have I heard those same exact words leave her mouth over the past three years? How many times have I tried to make it work by telling her what I always tell her? How many times have I said that I love her – that nothing can change that? Way too many fucking times. Rose gives me a half-smile as she straightens her glasses and gets up from my bed. A sense of panic creeps over me, instantly washing away the feeling of bliss we've been floating in for the past couple of hours. She throws on her clothes as fast as possible, and fixes her long black hair by combing her fingers through the dishevelled mess. A mess I made, when just a mere moment ago, I was running my fingers through those thick strands as I made love to my girlfriend. Her neck sports a couple of hickeys and her lips are still red and swollen from my kisses. And she's saying that this is over? Fuck, no. She can't just rock my world, only to throw me off my axis again. I swing my legs over my bed and get up in a haste to catch up with her. "You can't say that every time things don't go your way, Rosie," I say, trying yet failing to keep the malice out of my tone. "You need to stop running away." My words have her back stiffening ramrod-straight. Good. That means the wheels in her head are turning. And if they are turning, then my smart cookie is actually thinking and weighing my words. I bend down to retrieve my discarded jersey and boxers from the floor when Rose suddenly whirls around, exasperation blanketing her features. I'm trying to be angry with her, but her naked top isn't helping my issue. Another flare of lust travels through me at the sight of her bare breasts just waving in front of my face like a white flag. I'm seconds away from gathering her into my arms and throwing her onto my bed, just to show her how much I care for her all over again. To show her that we can make this work out. To show her that this is the real deal once and for all. Our eyes lock and hers cloud over. I can tell my words won't elicit the kind of answer I'm looking for. "I'm not running away." Her murmured words hang in the air between us. She picks up her peach blouse, but doesn't bother putting it on. "I'm serious, Trenton. It's really over this time... It's got to be." "Why?" Fuck, now I'm reduced to begging. I round the corner and slip into my briefs. "Why is it that every time things are going well you always find some stupid excuse to break things off. Again. Tell me, damnit. " She gazes at me long and hard, and much to my horror, water wells up in her blue eyes. I feel like the biggest asshole in the world. A tear springs free and runs down her cheek. I wince, taking another step toward her. "Rosie," I whisper. I close in on her and wrap my arms around her. She folds her tiny frame against my much larger one as I rock us back and forth for a couple of seconds. This feeling right here - utter elation - is all I need. "Baby, I'm sorry. Don't get upset." "It's for the best," she chokes out, tightening her arms around my waist and hiccupping quietly. "Trent, you know it and so do I. We're too different. We want different things from life. It's just not meant to be." "How can you say that?" We've been on a break for two months and only two weeks ago did she come running back into my arms. I'm getting tired of this on-and-off, push-and-pull war we have going between us. "You aren't even willing to give it a try." Rose flinches, as if my touch is scalding. Taking a couple of steps back, she fastens her sandals and quickly throws on her bra and blouse. When she wipes under her eyes, my chest constricts. I hate seeing her like this. I hate being the one to make her feel like this. It seems that lately I can never bring her any kind of fucking happiness. My eyes wander back to my rumpled bed and I feel like something pierces through my heart. Fuck, she's killing me. After everything that's happened, how can she just leave like that? We've been through thick and thin. I fought with my sister relentlessly over trying to gain a chance with her best friend and I get jackshit for all the effort I put into my relationship. Suddenly, the thought of my sister saddens me. I haven't seen Natalie in three months after she'd enrolled in Julliard University. New York wasn't too far away, but even our Skype dates and phone calls didn't suffice anymore. I miss talking to her. I miss her and my crazy as fuck mother. I wonder if Jared and Natalie had ever fucked up as bad as Rose and I did in their brief relationship. Was it easy falling in love for them? Was it hard to stay together? A thought that instantly has me grinding my molars occurs to me then. You'll always be the dysfunctional kid of the family, Trent. Fucking admit it. Can never do anything straight. Can never please anyone – not your mom, not your dad, not your sister and certainly not the one fucking girl you claim to love. "That's fucking it, baby?" My chest is now splitting open as I follow her to my dorm door, hands tightly hanging on to hers. I can tell that Rose is trying to hold it together. She fixes her glasses again – glasses that I haven't seen on her since high school. She loves wearing contacts now. "You're just going to let it be?" Her gaze shoots skywards and her bottom lip trembles. "You think this is easy for me Trent? I love you. You know I do... But this isn't working out. It hasn't been working out for two years now. We're not in high school anymore. We have real lives, real goals and real things to do."