4/03/17

'I guess what I realised is that... I never really loved you.'

Silence.

Before a slightly shocked voice broke it. 'Wh-what?'

It couldn't be, shouldn't be, can't be true. Adrien's hands were starting to shake, confusion and panic rising in a nauseous wave at Chloe's sudden confession.

Well, maybe it wasn't at all that sudden. The Parisian premaddonna had texted him earlier, asking - more demanding - them to meet outside the Eiffel Tower this evening, regarding 'relationship problems'. His heart had leapt into his throat and had refused to come down after reading that. Although the 'I'm breaking up with you' speech had been long awaited for, he'd never really considered the enormity of it until now.

'Before you make any assumptions, let me explain.' Chloe nervously looked away from the model and her boyfriend of 6 months, brushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. 'It's not that I don't like you,' she scoffed lightly, scuffing her black heel on the concrete. 'Why wouldn't I? You're hot, smart, and nice. You're every girls perfect man.'

Adrien couldn't stop a small blush blooming on his cheeks, despite the chilly December evening air. Even though he'd been told that countless times by photographers and managers, it meant something different coming from the poshest girl in Paris.

'But as time went on, I realised I liked you for the wrong reasons.' She avoided all eye contact as she said this, eyes trained on the ground.

'I didn't fall in love with you,' she started. 'I fell in love with the idea of loving you. I loved the idea of me and you becoming us, the hot, perfect and rich power couple. I fell in love the idea of being fawned over, standing in a league above everyone else. I fell in love with looks and fame, money and social ranking, rather than the personality behind it all. To put it simply - I fell in love with an imagine - an ego-centric future featuring me as the main character and starring you on the rare occasion. I thought I knew what love feels like - and I assumed too fast. I forgot reality in my pursuit of greed.' She looks up, midnight eyes full of pity. 'I'm so sorry, Adrien.'

His mind was spinning at well over the speed limit safe for thoughts, racing round and round and round his mind like a get-away car. Somewhere, somehow, he forced out a response - more of a blunt statement, perhaps.

'So, we were nothing.' He looks at her, emerald irises casting a blanket over his emotions.

Her guilty glance just makes the wounds hurt that little bit more. 'I'm so sorry,' she repeats, biting her lip after the words become mist in the air.

He sighs deflatedly, crossing his arms over his chest. 'Don't be.'

That made her stop. With a pained look, she states rather defiantly, 'No, I really am. I'm sorry for wasting your time. I'm sorry you put up with me for that long. I'm sorry my dad forced you into this, and I'm sorry I didn't gain any common sense earlier. I'm sorry this hurts - I knew it was going to, but it wasn't intentional. Love is stupid like that.' she laughs bitterly.

But you never really loved me. He gazes at her, an unreadable expression on his face as the platinum blonde falls silent. A weak grimace tugs at his features as he finally speaks up, his voice just louder than a whisper. 'We can't control our thoughts, our realizations. Thank you,' - her eyes widen in surprise - 'for telling me. Thank you for teaching me patience. Thank you for letting me into your life. Thank you,' he whispered, taking her cold hand in his warm, gloved one - 'for allowing us both move on.' He lets go of her nimble fingers, the smallest, saddest smile gracing his features. 'Goodbye, Chloe.'

She frowns slightly, her sculpted eyebrows furrowing but takes a step back anyway. 'I mean... I just...' She searches for the words to say, before stamping out her last sentence with a shake of the head. '...stay in touch, alright?'

Even though she didn't love him the way she thought she did, she'd still miss him.

The tiniest nod from Adrien is all she needs before she turns and speeds away, high heels clacking against pavement and golden strands escaping her ponytail as she leaves. Finally, she is free of the burden that had haunted her for weeks on end.

Not that the same could be said for the boy left behind.

The getaway car of his thoughts crashed and burst into flames as the silence greeted him with a cold embrace. Everything seemed enhanced - the night just a little colder, the lights a bit harsher, and the Tower a tad taller, looming above ominously - all of it swirling around like white noise and adding fuel onto the fire. He growled under his breath, desperately trying to get his thoughts to focus on what happened a few minutes earlier.

He didn't know what to do.

And he didn't know how to feel.

He knew he shouldn't get hung up about a girl he didn't love, and who didn't love him back.

She only loved the idea loving of him, anyway.

He supposed that's what stung the most, tinged with a hint of jealousy - how was everyone moving on so, so fast?

Chloe had moved on from him.

His father had moved on from his mother.

Heck, Nino had even moved on from Marinette and made a (successful) move on Alya.

He knew he'd said that it'd allow them both to move on, but was he really ready for more change than what was already happening around him?

He didn't know what to do; what to react; what to think.

It was like the sting had filled up his heart up with Novocaine, running him dry of any emotion as he stared at nothing, eyes blank and glazed.

He just felt numb.

Chlodrien breakups are fun to write about, hehe :3 I wrote most of this when I got the idea (which was pretty late at night) so excuse any mistakes scattered about in here x