There she stood in the once place she'd never thought she'd be. Under a street light in the middle of the pouring rain, alone, watching him walk away. His hands were in the pockets of his trench coat, his head down. And he wasn't coming back. And she knew it. Refusing to let the tears fall, she stood there.

**Earlier that day**

"Hm, Sarah, wake up," Neah said, rolling over onto his side to shake her. Her back was to him, sheets of the bed tugged tight around her shoulder. The long brown locks were still showing, flowing out along her back and around the pillow. Neah smiled, running his hands through the soft hair.

Sarah grumbled, "'unwanna…" she mumbled, half awake and half passed out.

Neah only chuckled, rolling her onto her back. His slightly calloused hand ran over her face, starting at her forehead and ending at her cheek. The bangs resting there were disturbed. That caused the young lady to open her eyes, her beautiful pools of blue.

"Neah…" she mumbled, stretching her arms before rolling over to bury her face into his shoulder. His bare shoulder. He opted to rub her back and wait a moment.

"Come on, we need to get up," he said, yawning as he stretched his neck to see the clock. Almost eleven.

"I dun'wanna…" she yawned as well, wrapping her arms around his neck to keep him exactly where was. Seeing as how he was an excellent pillow.

The tanned man just smiled and proceeded to rub her back. Briefly running his hand through his dark curly hair, he settled back down for a while more of sleeping. But with Sarah clinging to him, it was worth it.

Another hour and Neah had finally convinced the young lady to get up. Another ten minutes and they were downstairs. They hadn't moved much, soon finding themselves half asleep again on the couch. But there were more important things to be done.

"Hey, Sarah," Neah hummed as she flipped through the channels. She was lying up against him, seated comfortably between his knees.

"Hm?" she replied.

"Wanna go out tonight? For dinner I mean."

She shrugged, pursing her lips as she read the description of a show. Deciding it wasn't worth her time, she moved to the next channel.

"Come on, the last time we went out for dinner was your birthday. That was three months ago. At least play along. I'd kinda like to go somewhere," he grunted, leaning his cheek against his fist.

"Fine. But you're paying," she commented, a little too brusque.

"I always do," he huffed, patting his hand against her stomach.

"Think we could walk?" Sarah asked. "My cars about out of gas."

"Yeah, sure," Neah shrugged, trying to ignore the pulsing vein in his forehead. Something about the tone of her voice…

By five o'clock, they were ready to leave for dinner. Or Neah was. When Sarah walked down the stairs in jeans and a semi-nice looking t-shirt, Neah sighed and collapsed to the couch. Tugging at the collar of his best dress shirt, he looked at the girl.

"Could you at least wear something nice? Just this once?" He asked.

Sarah sighed, picking at her shirt without a word before disappearing upstairs. Fifteen minutes later she came downstairs in a red dress, her small purse, and a jacket on. Her hair was slightly curled.

"Nice enough for you?" she asked. Neah couldn't help but cringe at the harshness in her voice.

"Yeah," he stood up and extended his hand. "M'lady," he smiled. She just looked at him before taking the offered hand and walking out the door with him.

The restaurant was no fun place to be either. The entire time, Sarah had this feel about her that she didn't want to be there. Or more specifically, she didn't want to be there with Neah. Sure, she was just as chatty and slightly unfocused, but that was normal. The aura she harbored was not. Far from it.

Dessert finally came and Neah was starting to feel like he didn't want to be here either. Why had he asked her in the first place? Oh right, because she was his girlfriend and he loved her. Mentally slapping himself, he started to wonder why. He shook his head at that.

"Something wrong?" Sarah asked, setting down her glass.

Neah sighed. He set a 50 dollar bill on the table, to pay for the meal, and looked at her. "Sarah, we should talk. Outside."

She nodded and the two exited the establishment.

Once outside and away from people, Neah was ready to snap. It sucked that it was raining.

"If you hate me, just say it, will you?" He snapped, catching the girl off guard. "I don't want to stick around you anymore if you're only with me to get free crap out of me. You're using me for your sick little games! Free housing, free meals, free fucking—" he stopped himself short.

Sarah just stood there. He was yelling at her. Neah never yelled. Neah just didn't yell…

"I mean my god! Sarah, I know you look at other guys. And you could have anyone you wanted, you just chose the crazy rich kid who would give you everything! Sarah…I…my god I fucking love you! I may not have all the right screws, but that doesn't affect anything I'm able to do. I gave YOU my everything because I love you! But if this is how you're gonna treat me, then…"

"Neah…" Sarah whispered, stepping closer.

"I don't want to hear it," he began to walk away.

"Neah!" Sarah shouted, trying to go after him. In heels, that wasn't easy. But she managed, just barely. He stopped and turned right under a lamp post.

"WHAT?!" he shouted, "Do you want money to fill up your damn car or something?! I'm done caring about what you want, since you couldn't give a crap about me. All these damn rules, having to live the way you tell me to. Well I'm done with it. Goodbye Sarah Britton. God help us if I see you again," he turned on his heel and began to leave, shoving his hands into his pockets.

There Sarah stood, shocked beyond belief, in a soaked red dress, watching Neah walk away. She refused to let the tears fall, but she couldn't fight them. There they went, down her cheeks. In the middle of a rain soaked sidewalk, there she was, sobbing her eyes out.

How many weeks had passed? Oh that's right, just about four. Sarah had gotten her own apartment and moved out of Neah's house without a single word to him. He didn't help, he didn't smile, he didn't wave, he didn't grant her the smallest of glances. And she refused to believe the lump in her chest. But she couldn't deny how many times her eyes floated over to him.

She left the house without a word and went to her own apartment. And god did her heart ache. Every photo she had, he was in it. Her cellphone, laptop, and desktop backgrounds. She didn't even know why, but they were there. And Sarah hated herself for them.

She hated seeing Neah wherever she went. She hated how he never looked at her. She hated how she saw him with another girl. She hated how it was always a different girl. She hated how she couldn't call him any names, and even more so how she could only cry. Sarah hated everything.

It was that day, exactly six weeks after they had broken up, that Sarah saw Neah with the same girl from the previous week. Something was up, and she couldn't tear herself away. There he was, sitting on the park bench, touching his nose to the girl's. And he looked happy, smiling.

Sarah sighed and stood up. Her feet crunched against the early frost grass. She passed the bench, feeling the couple's eyes bearing into her. She bit back the tears and walked on. Maybe he was right. Maybe she had used him. Just a little. Maybe her rules had been stupid, maybe her attitude was bad. But that didn't mean…

Sarah screamed as something, no, someone, pushed her. When she stood and turned around, she screamed again. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! NO!

"NEAH!" she shouted. She'd crossed the road. She hadn't looked. And there was Neah, on the ground… No!

She ran for him, the car and the person in the car already out. Not caring about them, she fell to her knees beside Neah. His girlfriend? She didn't care.

"Neah!" Sarah was on the verge of tears, rolling him onto his back like he'd always done when she wouldn't wake up. His eyes were closed, his breathing shallow…

But he smiled, squeezing Sarah's hand, "Told ya…I always…p-pay…"

His hand dropped hers. His eyes closed. His head fell. And Sarah screamed.