Emily had always been a bookworm. She loved nothing more than a good story, and she spent most of her free time at the library, lost in the pages of a novel. Jake, on the other hand, was the star quarterback of the football team and the most popular guy in school. They lived in two different worlds and had never even spoken to each other.
But one day, fate intervened. Emily was walking home from the library, lost in thought when she suddenly felt a jolt and found herself on the ground. She looked up to see Jake standing over her, a look of concern on his face.
"Are you okay?" he asked, extending a hand to help her up.
Emily was a little dazed, but she couldn't help but notice how handsome he was up close.
"I'm fine, thank you," she said, brushing herself off.
Jake apologized profusely and offered to walk her home to make sure she was okay. Emily was surprised, but she couldn't help but feel a flutter in her stomach at the thought of spending more time with him.
As they walked, they talked about everything from books to sports to their hopes and dreams. Emily was amazed to find that Jake was smart, thoughtful, and kind, despite his reputation as a jock.
Over the next few weeks, Jake and Emily started spending more and more time together. They went on long walks, had deep conversations, and even started reading books together. Emily couldn't believe that the guy she had always admired from afar was now her boyfriend.
However, it wasn't all smooth sailing. Emily's friends were sceptical of their relationship, and Jake's friends were openly hostile. They didn't understand what the two of them had in common, and they didn't think that Emily was "cool" enough for Jake.
At first, Emily tried to brush it off and ignore the comments. But as time went on, it became harder and harder to deal with. She felt like she was constantly being judged and scrutinized, and it was starting to take a toll on her self-esteem.
Jake, however, was always there to support her. He would hold her hand and tell her how much he cared about her, and he would stand up for her when his friends were being rude or dismissive. Emily knew that she was lucky to have him, and she tried to focus on that whenever she was feeling down.
As they graduated from high school and moved on to college, things started to change. Emily went to a small liberal arts school, where she was able to indulge her love of literature and writing. Jake, on the other hand, went to a big state school on a football scholarship.
At first, they tried to make it work. They would talk on the phone every night and visit each other on weekends. But as time went on, they started to drift apart. Emily was busy with her classes and her writing, and Jake was focused on football and his social life.
They still loved each other, but they didn't have as much in common as they used to. They would argue about everything from politics to music to how they wanted to spend their weekends. Emily missed the days when they would walk and talk for hours, but she didn't know how to get that back.
One night, when they were on the phone, Jake dropped a bombshell.
"Emily, I think we need to take a break," he said, his voice soft.
