What If... We Start Over?

Part I

The days following their conversation were some of the hardest of Alan's life. The tension between him
and Carmen grew with each passing day, and the once-loving connection they had shared felt like it was crumbling before his eyes.

Alan was desperate to hold on, but no matter what he did, it seemed like Carmen was already halfway out the door.

One evening, after a long and grueling day of classes and training, Alan decided to visit Carmen. He
needed to talk to her, to try and understand what was going on between them. He hoped that maybe,
just maybe, they could work things out.

But as he approached her dorm room, his heart heavy with
dread, he couldn't shake the feeling that this conversation would change everything.
When Carmen opened the door, Alan could tell immediately that something was wrong. Her eyes were red, as if she had been crying, and she looked at him with an expression he couldn't quite read.

"Hey," she said, her voice quiet.

"Hey," Alan replied, stepping into the room.

"Can we talk?"

Carmen nodded, closing the door behind him. They sat down on her bed, the silence between them
heavy and uncomfortable.

Alan took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves.

"Carmen, I know things have been tough lately. I've been trying to figure out what's going on, but... I need to know what you're feeling."

Carmen looked down at her hands, her expression pained.

"Alan, I don't know how to say this..."

"Just say it," Alan urged, his heart pounding in his chest.

Carmen hesitated for a moment before finally looking up at him, tears in her eyes.

"I don't think I'm in love with you anymore," she whispered.

The words hit Alan like a freight train. He felt like the air had been knocked out of him, and for a
moment, he couldn't breathe.

"What?"

He choked out, his voice barely above a whisper.

Carmen wiped at her eyes, her expression one of deep sorrow.

"I've been trying to hold on, to make
things work, but... I don't feel the same way I used to. I don't want to hurt you, but I can't keep
pretending that everything's okay."

Alan felt his world crumbling around him. He had known that things weren't perfect, but he had never
imagined that Carmen had fallen out of love with him.

"Carmen, please," he pleaded, his voice trembling.

"We can fix this. We can work through it together. Just give us a chance."

But Carmen shook her head, her tears falling freely now.

"I've tried, Alan. I really have. But it's not just
about us anymore. There's... there's someone else."

The words struck Alan like a physical blow. He felt like the ground had been ripped out from under him,
and for a moment, he thought he might be sick.

"Someone else?" he repeated, his voice hollow.

Carmen nodded, her face filled with guilt.

"It's not what you think. It just... happened. I didn't mean for it to, but I can't ignore my feelings. I'm so sorry, Alan."