"I just don't love you anymore."
"What?" Carrie's lip quivered as her words barely made any sound.
"I'm sorry. I just don't love you the same anymore." Mike repeated, trying not to watch Carrie break in front of him.
"Is there another woman?" Carrie muttered, silent tears sliding down her face.
"No." Mike sighed, telling himself that he wasn't lying. "I just don't feel the same anymore."
"But why?" Carrie cried, her voice barely audible. "I-I don't understand."
"I'm sorry Carrie. I just don't." He said flatly, showing no emotion at all. "I have to go. I'm sorry."
He turned around, unable to look at her any longer knowing how badly he was hurting her. He wanted nothing more than to hug her and never let her go, but he knew he couldn't. He had to do this. He had to leave her. He wasn't good for her.
He shut the door behind him, reaching for the handle once more after it shut but letting his hand fall back to his side.
Carrie stood staring at the door, unable to process what had just happened. She couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face and hitting the floor.
Her body was completely numb. She was frozen in place and couldn't move if she tried. She stared at the closed door, praying that somehow it would open back up and he'd appear and take it all back.
How could he just not love her anymore?
They may have only been 24, but she and Mike had been together since freshman year of college. They'd been inseparable for 6 years. They rarely fought or argued. She thought that everything was perfect between them. She thought they were going to get married, have a family, grow old together. She thought they'd never separate.
She thought she was a good girlfriend. She did everything right. She didn't understand what she'd done to make him fall out of love with her so suddenly after so long.
Carrie didn't know how to react. She didn't know what to do.
She couldn't do anything but cry.
~~~
Mike drove home, focusing on the road ahead of him and blocking everything else out. No matter what he did, he couldn't seem to get the image of Carrie's face out of his head. In 6 years, he'd never seen her look so hurt.
He hated himself. He hated himself for not being the perfect boyfriend, for not treating her the way she deserved. He hated himself for hurting her so badly.
He knew what he did was wrong. He knew he'd done it the wrong way. But he didn't have any other option. He couldn't tell her the truth. It would hurt her too badly.
When he got home, he stared at the wall of his garage with the car in park.
"Damnit!" He screamed, banging the steering wheel as hard as he could. Angry tears filled his eyes as he began to realize what he had done.
He'd walked out on the most important thing in his life and couldn't go back. He'd lost his other half and was never going to get her back.
He didn't know how to react. He didn't know what to do.
All he could do was cry.
~~~
Carrie sat anxiously twiddling her thumbs, swinging her feet back and forth against the exam table. She fiddled with the hospital gown as she waited for her doctor to come back with results.
She ran her finger over her left ring finger, noticing the tan line where Mike's promise ring had been for six years. She felt naked without it on.
It had been five days and still, she hadn't even begun to get over him. She found herself thinking about him constantly. She wondered what he was doing, whether he was hurting as badly as she was, what they would be doing at that moment if they were together. She couldn't stop thinking about him.
The door swung open, pulling Carrie out of her thoughts. She lifted her head to see her doctor greeting her with a smile.
Relieved at the smile on her face, Carrie let out her deep breath, but little did she know that the four words that were about to come out of her mouth would change her life forever.
"Congratulations Carrie, you're pregnant."
