// maintained it a little longer) I'd marry you tomorrow, Hallie (I closed the gap between us both) If I knew we wanted the same things //

// (She could see she had broken me, but she still decided to kick me while I was done, as her tone turned harsh, as she snapped back) //

// "I'm a resident Matt. I cannot start a family right now" (I got it, shit, I got it, that's why I left, that is why we are where we //

// are. I didn't want to start an argument, but I wasn't going to let her make me out to be the bad guy. As I shook my head at her) //

// Yeah... that's been made perfectly clear.... (I looked away from her and back down at the counter, at the ring. It was like it was //

// mocking me. Eight years, eight years we were together and in a matter of moments it was like they never even existed. It was hard for //

// me to remain calm right now. But I knew if I snapped, there would be no going back. I would burn the bridge. But Hallie just kept //

// pushing) "So what are we doing?" (Seriously? It was like she wanted me to drop everything. There was no compromise. That was made //

// clear as well. It was everything she wanted, or nothing at all and if I am honest, not just with her, but myself as well, I just //

// couldn't do that. So shaking my head as I looked to her) I don't know (She nodded her head, but she just didn't get it. She wasn't //

// getting my point of view, or taking anything else into consideration. So I kept my gaze on her, as she looked down at her ring, before //

// she used her finger to nudge it closer to me) "Call me when you do" (she either didn't care about us, or she was doing a really good //

// job of hiding her emotions, because she remained indifferent as she turned and headed towards the door. I didn't go after her. I just //

// didn't see the point. It wasn't going to get me anywhere. As she closed the door behind her, I picked the ring up from the counter and //

// looked at it. I needed to start again. Start my life over. I was used to doing that. It wasn't something I was afraid of either. //

// Dropping the ring down onto the counter, and headed towards the stairs. I didn't have any fight left in me today. I had done enough //

// fighting and battling, so I just didn't have it in me. As I headed up the stairs, I began to strip out of my clothes. Sleeping the //

// next twenty-four hours away was looking more and more appealing. Once I headed into the master bedroom, I collapsed down onto the bed, //

// my eyes closing as I allowed all the built up tension from today to pass over me. I had so many things I needed to deal with, but //

// right now, they could all wait until I woke up)