The cold November rain beat hard against the window of Rose's small apartment in Cabanatuan City, streaking down the glass like tears she'd been holding back all evening. Andre stood by the door, his shoulders slumped, one hand on the doorknob as if he'd been trying to turn it for hours but couldn't bring himself to move.
"Please Andre… I can't lose you," Rose whispered, her voice breaking as she took a step closer. She reached out to touch his arm, but he pulled away gently, his eyes fixed on the floor. "You're everything to me. I love you more than anything."
Andre finally looked up, and she could see the pain etched deep in his brown eyes – the same eyes that used to light up every time he saw her. "I love you too, Rose. More than words can say. But this… this is the right decision."
"Why?!" Her voice rose sharply, mixing with the sound of thunder outside. "Did I do something wrong? Did I make you unhappy? We love each other – what's wrong with that?!"
He ran a hand through his wet hair, his jaw tight. "Look at what's happened since I came into your life. Six months ago, your parents got into that car crash on their way to meet me for dinner. Then last month, your savings account was drained because of that investment I convinced you to make. And two weeks ago… you almost drowned in the river when we went hiking because I wanted to show you that hidden spot."
"That wasn't your fault!" Rose cried, moving closer until she was standing right in front of him. "The driver who hit your parents was drunk. The investment scammer was the one to blame – you didn't know any better. And the river current just picked up suddenly… none of that was because of you!"
Andre shook his head, his voice heavy with guilt. "But I was there for all of it. I was the reason your parents were on that road. I was the one who talked you into putting your money in that fund. I was the one who led you to that river. Every single bad thing that's happened to you… it all started when I walked into your life at that coffee shop downtown."
Rose reached up and cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. "Do you remember that day? You spilled your hot chocolate all over my laptop, and instead of running away, you stayed and helped me clean it up. You even worked extra shifts to buy me a new one. You've brought me more joy than I've ever known. We can fix whatever problems come our way – the right way. Not by you leaving me."
For a moment, she saw his resolve waver. He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes. But then he pulled away again, taking a step back toward the door.
"Maybe we need to start over first," he said quietly, his hand finally turning the doorknob. "Give each other some space. Let me make sure that when I'm in your life, I'm not putting you in danger."
Before Rose could say anything else, he opened the door and stepped out into the rain. She ran after him, but he was already walking away, his head down against the storm. By the time she reached the street, he had disappeared into the darkness, leaving her standing in the pouring rain with tears streaming down her face.