I opened the door and saw that he was sitting on the floor, holding the ring box. There were photos of us scattered around him. He looked surprised when he noticed me.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I forgot something,” I said, and walked in to grab my scarf from the couch.
He stood up slowly. “I’ve been thinking,” he said. “I made a mistake. I got scared and reacted too fast. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
I nodded. “I know you didn’t mean to. But proposing and then taking it back the next day is serious. It shows you’re not ready, and I can’t build a future on uncertainty.”
He looked down. “I really do care about you.”
“I care about you too,” I replied. “But we’re not in the same place. It’s better this way.”
I picked up my scarf, walked to the door, and left. There was nothing more to say.
