I CAN'T [ BROCK BOESER ]

- ten -

The rain splats down against the street at a fast pace. Of all nights we go out, we got out on one of the rainiest of nights in Vancouver. Our hands are clasped together as we walk briskly through the streets of downtown Vancouver, our bodies are soaked to the core as the rain never seems to slow down. Hudson walks ahead of me, almost pulling me along with him. He doesn't look back at me, his attention straight ahead and doesn't slow down for anything.

"Huds." I call out to him. He ignores me and continues to drag me through the wet, almost flooded, street we walk down.

"Hey, Hudson." I yell coming to a dead stop in the street. Hudson's cold hand leaves mine and he turns around almost instantly. I see his dark eyes meet mine for a second, droplets of water fall from his eye lashes as he stares at me.

"What's wrong?" He asks averting his eyes away from me.

"Slow down, I can't keep up with your long legs." I tell hugging my arms around my body. The droplets of rain fall quickly in front of my face, I squint hard to make out Hudson's figure who stands a foot or two in front of me.

"We are stuck in the pouring rain, I'm sorry that I want to get somewhere warm before we freeze to death." He says abruptly and turns around to walk away. I stare in shock at him, I don't think I've ever heard him use that tone before in the three years we have been together. I trail after him, almost running to keep up with his long strides.

Suddenly, Hudson stops dead in the street. I run into his back and stumble back from the force, I rub my forehead as I look up to him. He runs his hands across his cheeks, his hair is pushed back from his face.

"I can't do this anymore." Hudson says instantaneously. I try to catch his eyes, but he looks elsewhere, I haven't seen him look at me for weeks and if he does, it's for a second and then he looks elsewhere.

"Do what?" I wonder and shiver as a cold wind passes by us. Hudson deeply sighs, he doesn't seem to care that we're standing in the middle of a rain storm. The thunder booms and rumbles above us, the rain beats down harder against us, and here we are standing in soaking wet clothes talking. I shiver again and try to keep warmth inside my body, but the cold, wet rain doesn't seem to ease up.

"I can't be with you anymore." Hudson tells and keeps his eyes off me. I feel colder at Hudson's words, I wish he wouldn't continue speaking after what he said but he does.

"Don't deny that something has changed between us, we aren't what we use to be, are we? I don't want to use the cliché 'it's not you, it's me', but it is me. I am the one who is wrong with our relationship, I don't think I can be with you anymore or continue with what we have. I don't love you." My knees wobble at Hudson's words, my chest tightens as I struggle to breathe. I feel my world starting to collapse around me.

"A-a-are you serious?" I get out through my ragged breaths.

"Yes." He nods almost instantly. I take in a sharp gasp at his confession. I don't know what to feel at this moment, but soon anger builds in my body at what he's said to me.

"Did you ever love me?" I ask ignoring the fact we are standing in the middle of a rain storm in a puddle of water. I can hardly feel my toes and my clothes stick to my body, but I don't care. I want to know why he's telling me now!

"No." Hudson whispers above the thundering rain. My heart feels like it's been stabbed, and I stumble back at his confession. I can't tell if I'm crying or not, the rain beats down on us fast that we're soaked to the bone with water. I start to nod and laugh, Hudson seems to startle at my reaction.

"At least you've the balls to be a man and say it to my face." I say and walk into the road. I cast my gaze up towards the dark sky, the rain splats against my face.

"I'm sorry for leaving it this long." Hudson calls out over a rumble of thunder, his voice sounds nothing like it used to. He no longer looks like the man I fell in love with, he's hurt and broken my heart.

"How long? How long have you thought of breaking up with me?" I ask turning around to face him. It doesn't help that the rain gets heavier and the thunder gets louder, I feel the chill of the wind strike me to my bones.

"I don't want to talk about this, Levi." Hudson replies and I scoff at him. I mask my hurt with anger. I'm screaming internally to run away from him, but I'm mad! Mad that he's telling me this now, telling me as we near our three-year anniversary.

"You don't want to talk about it? Don't you think I deserve a proper explanation to why you're breaking up with me? I deserve an explanation, Hudson!" I yell loudly at him. My hot tears stream down my cold cheeks at an uncontrollable pace. I love this man! I love him and he's breaking my heart here, could he have not done it when we weren't going out on a date? Couldn't he have done it at another time? Why did he leave it so late?!

"I'm sorry." Hudson says and moves back from me.

"Don't you leave!" I call and follow after him. "Don't you leave me."

"I have to go, Levi." He tells and turns his back on me. I stand rooted in my spot as I watch Hudson walk away from me, his hands are shoved into his pockets and he has his head down.

"You're an ass, Hudson James Scott!" I yell out to him; my tears never seem to have an end in sight as they escape me at an uncontrollable pace.

"Please shut up, let me go, let me leave." Hudson shouts back at me, his back is still facing me. I keep my eyes on his back.

"You must be stupid to think I'm going to let this go! You're breaking up with me and leaving me alone, I want to know everything Hudson. You can't just break up with me out of the blue!" I call out over the rumbling thunder. I try to make out his dark silhouette, but the rain is making everything hard to see. He's disappearing from my view.

"You'll know one day, but for now let me go before this gets any harder than this needs to be." Hudson says and then I see him walk away. The last thing I see is him turning around the corner. My legs finally give out and I collapse into a puddle of water, my shoulders rock violently as I sob into my hands.

Why did he do this to us?! Why did he ruin what we had? Did he need to walk away and leave me alone in the pouring rain? He's shattered my heart beyond repair, there's nothing that anyone can do to help repair it. 

A/N: I really wanted the break up story to be much better than what I've written. Apologies for mistakes and that.

-Lauryn.