There were crickets chirping. Chris and Ren stopped to sit on a park bench on their walk back from Elizabeth's.

Drawing Ren closer to him, Chris said, "Well at least Elizabeth won't have to pretend with her Dad anymore about Gordo."

Ren nodded mutely.

"They really care about each other. It's gross."

She nodded again.

"What's wrong, Ren?" He looked at her, worried and hurt at her loud silence.

Thinking about how much Elizabeth and Gordie loved and supported each other made Ren feel even lonelier than she ever had been before. And seeing him now under the stars brought betraying tears to her eyes. He was so…everything beautiful to her, and she knew he would never ask her to be a part of it. "You can stop pretending, please," she whispered.

"Pretending what?" he asked, honestly baffled.

"That you care."

"What?" When she wouldn't look at him, he held her closer. "What do you mean? Care about what?"

"Me, Chris," she said quietly.

"Ren," he said desperately. "I care! I love you."

"You do not, but it's okay…" She wiped tears away. "That way when you leave, you'll get over it more easily than I will."

"That's bullshit," he told her, suddenly sounding appalled. "You can take my breath away and you can't even feel how in love with you I am?"

"I just don't get it. I never have. I love you so much I don't know how I'm ever going to stop needing you." She shook her head. "But when you're with me, I feel like you want to be somewhere else. And you wish I was someone else." She sniffled, her voice catching on her tears. "Anyone else."

"What the hell did I do to make you feel that way?" he demanded. "That's just stupid."

"I know what I feel, Chris!" I know that I can't stop loving you but I can't stop feeling empty because you don't give anything back!"

"I'm sorry, Ren, but what the fuck do you expect me to do?" He took his arm from around her shoulders, not touching her anymore. "I'm sorry that I don't buy you flowers or put a red carpet down wherever you walk. I don't know what you think love is, but I sure as hell feel it for you, and accusing me of not giving anything back to you just hurts. How are you so sure that you love me?"

"Do you now what I gave up to be with you? I gave up my life as I knew it for you and I never looked back!"

He stared incredulously at her. "You think that you're a social martyr for being with me? Well thank you, Ren, I didn't know I was such a burden."

"Chris, that's not what I meant," she sighed.

"I always knew you'd get hurt by being with me. But I never thought I would be the one to do it." He sighed miserably. "And I never thought we'd last, but then after awhile, after I started to love you, I just prayed that we'd make it. Because I didn't want to imagine myself without you."

"But we can't make it," she murmured.

"I know that now. So we're over?"

She said nothing…she just wanted to die.

"Okay. It's okay…" He got up, tilted her chin up and kissed her forehead, lingering for a moment. He said, "Just believe me, I love you. I'll see you around. And stop crying, it'll be fine."

Ren watched as he walked away. It would not be fine. And if she did stop crying, it would be too soon.

Author's Note: Ahhh yes, this chapter is the product of my piece of shit day. I DON'T GET TO GO TO DISNEYLAND and so I'm pissed off, so lucky you, you get an angsty chapter. Sorry. :(