Close to the verge of tears, Cleo hesitantly dialed Lewis' number as she sat criss-cross on her bed. Was this really necessary? No; but it was heartbreaking every minute she thought of him. Lewis hadn't contacted Cleo in a month; and when she did, it went to voicemail, as expected. She understood why, though. Australia and America, two totally different areas. Two totally different time zones, and two totally different schedules. The last time Lewis spoke to Cleo, he had updated her on how he recently exchanged to a new school in California. Meanwhile, Cleo kept to her dolphin training while she was in midst of applying for a Marine Biology Institute.
"Hello?"
"Lewis! It's me, Cleo!" Cleo was thrilled that he picked up the phone, but the one time he did, she had news to spill.
"Cleo! I've been trying to contact you for a while, but it always goes to voicemail!"
"The same thing here... Listen, Lewis, I have news." Cleo hesitantly said.
"I do too! Let me go first.. I'm coming back in a week to Australia!"
"That's amazing, Lewis.. You're going back to California after, though, right?"
"Yeah, the week after my arrival; it's okay, though. We can make the most of what we've got."
"Right.."
A long, tense silence had arrived. Cleo was regretting every moment of this; but she knew she had to do it. Her heart couldn't take anymore of it.
"Lewis, there's something I have to tell you.. I've been thinking a bit, about us," she began, "I.. I don't think this relationship of ours is working out."
".. What do you mean?"
"Lewis, I've loved you for such a long time, I still do.. I cherish you with all my heart; but you're in America and we're so far apart from each other. When we call each other, it always goes to voicemail. When I think about you, it gets really heartbreaking to me, because- because I know you're not here.. With me."
Cleo tried to hold back her tears. This was already painful enough, and she didn't need to start sobbing uncontrollably in the middle of a phone call.
"Cleo, I- I didn't know you felt that way. I'm really sorry. I uh.. I understand."
"I'm so sorry, Lewis. I-"
She couldn't hold the tears back anymore. She started sniffling as they dripped down her rosy cheeks and onto her distressed skirt.
"Cleo, don't cry, please. It's okay, I understand.."
"I'm sorry, Lewis! I just need a break right now.. I'm so sorry."
And there she hung up, setting the tone for her relationship with Lewis. Cleo wasn't happy about it, but she felt like she needed to tell him. She felt it in her gut, in her soul, and in her wounded heart.