Love Beyond Reach

The two of them sat in a corner.
Saoirse looked at the tablecloth as she waited for Julian to speak.
Julian, however, only stared intently at her, watching her every move as though afraid she might disappear again.
After the waiter brought the coffee, Saoirse took a sip before finally looking up at him.
"What do you want to talk about? Go ahead." Her tone was calm.
Julian unknowingly clenched his hands under the table as he struggled to control the emotions on his face.
"Why do you want to break up? Did I do something wrong?"
A trace of helplessness flickered in Saoirse's eyes at the questions. "Isn't it normal to break up when you no longer have feelings?" she asked in

return.
Upon hearing her reply, Julian felt his chest tighten. He suddenly began to panic.
"You're lying!" he exclaimed.
Saoirse was surprised when she saw how anxious he was. However, her amazement was soon replaced by scorn when she recalled his determined
tone in front of the haunted house.
"I never lie. If I like someone, I like them; if I don't, I don't. Unlike you, I'm true to my heart."
The first sentence made Julian even more anxious, while the latter left him confused.
"'Unlike me?'"
Seeing the bewildered look on his face, Saoirse suddenly found him somewhat pitiful.
Was he unaware of his feelings to this day?

With every word Saoirse spoke, Julian's face grew a shade paler.
Each sentence struck him right where it hurt the most. He no longer had the courage to look at her.
Saoirse didn't care what he was feeling at that moment; she just wanted to finally vent every emotion she had been holding back.

"Maybe it's because I've poured so much passion into this relationship for so long that it gave you the impression that I can't live without you, that I'm
entirely dependent on you. You can't accept the breakup simply because you can't stand being dumped by someone who once pursued you so
relentlessly.

After hearing this long, heartfelt revelation, Julian froze in place.
Throughout this relationship, he had never really cared about what Saoirse thought, nor had he ever considered the future.
Everything in his world flowed naturally—he was always pushed forward by reality, never actively pursuing anything.
Even with Georgina, he had quietly accepted his fate of just being friends with her.
But with Saoirse, Julian simply couldn't accept the idea of breaking up.
Even now, with everything laid out clearly, he still didn't want the relationship to end.
Was this stubbornness, or was it love?
He couldn't tell the difference.