Nilla and Eleven crouched behind the slightly ajar door, hearts hammering so loudly they were sure Will could hear it. The living room was quiet except for the soft murmur of Will's voice.
"…She can be too much sometimes," he said, almost to himself. "I love her, but… man, sometimes it's hard to deal with everything."
Nilla's stomach dropped. Too much? What does he mean by that? She peeked around the edge of the door, trying to make sense of the words.
Eleven tugged gently at her sleeve. "We should leave… I mean, maybe he's just talking to himself."
"I… I need to know," Nilla whispered. Without another thought, she barged into the room.
"Will! What are you saying about me?!" Her voice rang sharply through the quiet house.
Will spun around, startled, his eyes wide. "N-Nilla! I—It's not what it sounds like!"
Nilla crossed her arms, her cheeks flushed with a mix of hurt and anger. "Not what it sounds like? You were literally talking about me like I'm… some problem you have to deal with!"
Eleven stepped forward, her voice sharp with frustration. "Will! Why did you do that? She loves you!"
Will took a shaky step forward, running a hand through his hair. "I… I didn't mean it like that. I love you, Nilla, I really do. I just… sometimes you can be a lot to handle, and I didn't know how else to say it. It's not about hating you or anything—I swear!"
Nilla's anger flared. "Sometimes I can be a lot? Do you even hear yourself? You think I don't try? You think I don't care?!"
Her words were sharp, echoing in the room. Will's face fell as he opened his mouth to speak, but Nilla cut him off.
"I can't do this anymore, Will," she said, voice trembling but firm. "I… I think we should break up."
Will's jaw dropped. "Nilla… wait, no! Please, I can explain—"
But before he could finish, his nervous step caused him to bump into a nearby vase. It teetered for a moment and then crashed to the floor, shattering into countless pieces.
Eleven winced. "Oh my gosh, Will!" she exclaimed, crouching to avoid the glass.
"I—It's… I'm sorry!" Will said, staring at the broken vase and then at Nilla. His voice was desperate. "I didn't mean for… any of this. I just wanted you to know I love you."
Nilla shook her head, stepping back. "I can't… I need space. I… I can't even look at you right now." She turned and stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her. Eleven hurried after her, calling softly, "Nilla! Wait!"
Outside, Nilla's fists were clenched, her chest heaving as she tried to control her rage. "Why, Will? Why did you say that?" she muttered, her voice trembling. She couldn't understand how someone who supposedly loved her could say something so hurtful.
Back inside, Eleven turned to Will, who sank onto the couch, burying his face in his hands. "I… I love her, Eleven," he admitted quietly. "I just… sometimes she can be too much for me. I didn't mean to hurt her. I really didn't."
Eleven sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Yeah, well… she loved you, and you hurt her. You need to fix this, Will. But right now… you give her space. That's all you can do."
Will nodded, the weight of guilt pressing down on him. "I'll… I'll figure it out. I just hope she'll listen someday."