A/N: This is my 1st fic for msec, so I hope you guys will enjoy it!

"Go away, Henry!" she shouted, slamming the door and sliding the deadbolt into place. Her legs barely made it to the bed before she collapsed onto it and the tears that had been threatening to flow started rolling down her cheeks. She dug through her bag anxiously, her hand trembling as she searched for her phone. Once her fingers closed around the familiar shape, she typed out a quick message to her roommate and hit send before curling into a ball and crying herself to sleep.

Don't bother coming back.

She was so sure he was the one. Henry McCord was the first person she found so easy to be with. He was brilliant as a teaching assistant with his insights into theological studies, constantly sparking debates among his students and delving into greater depths of the subject. His passion for it was what attracted her to him in the first place. Getting to know him, he carried a comforting presence, never judgmental and always very understanding. She found herself telling him about everything – her parents, their deaths, her family – and he never failed to be there for her and lend her a listening ear. As time passed, she found herself falling deeper in love with him – the way his hazel eyes crinkled when he laughed, how he always made sure she felt appreciated and loved, his endless support in whatever she did. It's always the little things, they said. But now, it's all gone; their relationship was over.

"Elizabeth! Elizabeth, hear me out, please," he pleaded, his hand gently knocking against her door. As soon as it slammed shut in his face, he heard her sobs, each one more heartbreaking than the one before. A lump formed in his throat, guilty of having caused this. Leaning against the wall, he slid down to the ground, placing his head in his hands, unsure of what to do next. One moment ago he was planning to propose to the love of his life, and now he ruined it.

3 hours earlier…

"Hey Bess, I'm heading out. See ya tonight," Alice said. She grabbed her bag and shut the door behind her quickly.

Elizabeth barely had the chance to say goodbye before her roommate disappeared behind the door. Well, someone's busy, she thought. It wasn't the first time in those few weeks Alice rushed out to someplace without telling her. It was rare; Alice was usually the one gushing about where she was going and what she was doing being the social butterfly she is. Now with an afternoon free of classes and without Alice around, Elizabeth was bored. Picking up her phone, she shot a quick text to Henry.

You free, babe? Wanna grab a drink?

His reply was almost instant. Her phone buzzed with his incoming message, lighting the screen up.

Sorry babe. Got papers to write. Maybe another time. Love you xoxo

She sighed. For some reason unknown to her, Alice and Henry have been unavailable coincidentally at the same time, every single time, for about 2 weeks now. She had her suspicions before, but quickly erased them from her mind before her doubts could get ahold of her. There's no way Henry and Alice were actually together, is there?

Her curiosity got the better of her this time. Slipping on a dress and a flannel shirt, she grabbed her bag and left her room to find Henry.

She walked down the hallway to his office, letting her body take her down the familiar route while her mind wandered to other places. Anxiety started clouding her mind; what if Alice was there? She realized she wouldn't know how to react if she saw the two of them together but before she could turn back, she found herself in front of his door. Too late to turn back now, she thought. Taking a deep breath, she turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.

"Henr—," she started, only to find the room empty. She slowly walked over to his desk, where all his papers and booked were stacked neatly. There was no indication that he was even there that day.

Fear struck her heart. Suddenly, she recalled that Henry sometimes wrote his papers in his apartment when he needed some peace away from the noise of the students on campus. With a renewed sense of hope, she headed across the school to his apartment.

Reaching her hand into her bag, she grabbed the spare key Henry gave her and unlocked the door. Peering around the cozy apartment, Henry was once again nowhere to be found. She curled up on his tiny couch, frustrated about the whole situation. She didn't want to bother him if he was really writing papers, but at the same time, doubt started creeping into her mind, taking root there. He would have to return to his apartment sooner or later that day, so she decided to wait for him there. She eventually dozed off, being in the comfort of the apartment that she spent so much time in despite the situation.

She stirred at the sound of the door unlocking. Her eyes fluttered open just as it swung ajar, and Henry appeared. But before she could even greet him, Alice appeared behind him, the both of them laughing, carrying wide grins on their faces. Her heart sank. This could not be happening. There is no way her worst fears just came true. And yet there they were, standing in the doorway, together.

"Hey, babe," he greeted, surprised but happy to find her in his apartment. Alice and Henry were just planning how he was going to propose to her right before they stepped in. He hoped she didn't hear anything that revealed his plans. He walked over to her and was about to wrap an arm around her to peck her on the lips but before he could, she swatted his hand away.

"Don't touch me." Her voice was barely above a whisper, her eyes shining with tears. She held them back as best as she could, not wanting to show any weakness.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" he panicked. He rarely saw her in tears. The only time he did was during her parents' death anniversary every year. He picked at his brain, wondering if he did anything wrong. He was always trying to shower her with affection to show her how much he loved her. No matter how hard he thought, he couldn't fathom why she was in tears right in front of him.

Alice stood at the entrance, frozen to the spot in shock. She knew Elizabeth well enough to know what she was thinking of – that Henry cheated on her with her roommate. It certainly looked that way to Elizabeth. She thought of the hours she spent with Henry, planning his proposal to her roommate. She was so excited to see her best friend get proposed to by the guy she loved so much, she forgotten that all of it – her random outings, the secrecy, her cheerfulness whenever she returned from these planning sessions – probably raised an alarm or two. With Elizabeth, nothing goes unnoticed.

"W-wait, it's not like that, Bess. I swear," Alice stuttered, her voice quivering as she struggled to find the words to say without revealing Henry's proposal plans.

"What's not like what?" Henry was incredibly puzzled. He came back home to his girlfriend, crying on his couch, and for some reason an argument seemed to be brewing.

"I'm leaving," Elizabeth grabbed her bag and stormed out of his door.

"W-wait, hang on, Bess! Alice, what's happening?" he turned to Alice, wanting to run after Elizabeth but not knowing what's going on.

"She thinks you cheated on her. With me."

He dashed out of his apartment, mentally slapping himself. Of course she'd find it weird that I've been avoiding her, he thought in guilt. He caught up with her on the way to her dorm – not an easy feat considering how fast she could run.

"Elizabeth, please, it's not like that."

"What else can it be, Henry? Don't bother explaining, just leave me alone," her voice shook, her tears threatening to fall any moment now.

"I love you; I would never cheat on you! Please, Elizabeth," he begged. He was at a loss; he contemplated telling her about the proposal, but he wanted to make it a huge surprise for her. He wished he had been more sensitive to see how his recent unavailability looked like to Elizabeth.

"Go away, Henry!" she yelled, before slamming the door shut in his face. Not caring that she wasn't in any comfortable wear, she held her knees to her chest on the bed and fell asleep, crying.