Daniel's shoulders slumped, the weight of his own emotions crashing down upon him. "I cherished those moments, Naomi. I truly did. But I can't keep living a lie. We both deserve to find happiness, even if it means letting go."
Naomi felt a wave of pain running through her veins. The reality of their situation sank in, and the room felt suffocatingly small. She struggled to catch her breath, desperately searching for words to express the despair and confusion that consumed her.
"You still love her, don't you?" She asked him. Her voice was breaking, she had to look up, so her tears wouldn't fill her eyes.
Daniel's expression turned dull as he met Naomi's tear-filled gaze. His voice cracked with emotion as he responded, "Yes, Nomi. I still love her."
Tears streamed down Naomi's face uncontrollably as she struggled to comprehend the importance of his words. Her voice shook with a mixture of sadness and desperation. "How... how long have you felt this way?"
Daniel's voice wavered as he responded, the pain evident in his tone. "I've been struggling with these feelings for a while now, but I was afraid to confront them. I tried to convince myself that I could push them aside and focus on our relationship, but it's not fair to you or to me. I can't keep pretending anymore."
"I think I knew for a long time... I think I knew ever since I saw you two together at that charity ball." Naomi's voice trembled as she spoke, her heart heavy with the weight of realisation. The memory of that charity ball flooded back, the sight of her boyfriend and the other woman locked in an intimate conversation etched into her mind. It had been a moment that had stirred an uneasy feeling within her, a nagging suspicion that she had tried to ignore.
A mixture of hurt and anger coursed through Naomi's veins as she continued, her voice laced with pain. "I saw the way you looked at her, the way you smiled, and I felt it then, even if I didn't want to admit it. I knew there was something between you two."
Daniel's gaze dropped to the floor, unable to meet Naomi's eyes. His silence spoke volumes, confirming her fears. It was a truth they had both been avoiding and now it lay bare between them.
"Why... why didn't you tell me sooner? Why did you let us go on like this?" His voice cracked with a mixture of sadness and frustration. If he knew, she knew, he would end things way earlier. This was only hurting both of them.
"Because I thought you would start loving me eventually. Because I was too selfish to give up on our love. Because I wanted us to work. Because I wanted you," Naomi's voice trembled with a mix of sorrow and longing. She had held onto the hope that their love would prevail, that the Aussie would eventually reciprocate her feelings fully. The pain of his admission weighed heavily on her, but she couldn't help but cling to the fragments of their connection.
Daniel's eyes flickered with regret and guilt as he listened to Naomi's words. He had wanted to believe that he could overcome his feelings for Y/N and give his heart entirely to Naomi. But deep down, he knew it was an unfair expectation, a lie he couldn't sustain.
"I'm sorry, Naomi," Daniel whispered, his voice filled with regret. "I didn't want to hurt you, and I held onto the hope that my feelings would change. But I can't force myself to love someone when my heart belongs to someone else."
Naomi's shoulders slumped as she absorbed his words, the reality crashing down upon her. The pain cut deep, and she struggled to maintain her composure. "So, all this time... I was just a placeholder? Someone you settled for?"
Daniel's voice was filled with sadness as he reached out, his hand trembling. "No, Nomi. You were never a placeholder."
"That's exactly what I am, Dan. I'm the girl you long to fuck. The one you can't wait to brag to your friends about, the one whose hand you hold in public because you want everyone we walk past to know that I decided to spend my evening with you. I'm the trophy. I'm not the girl whose face you hold tenderly at the end of the day, who you whisper sweet nothings to."
Daniel's expression twisted with pain as he realised the depth of Naomi's hurt. He had never intended to treat her as a trophy or a placeholder, but his actions had led her to feel that way. The weight of his mistakes settled heavily upon him.
"Naomi, I never wanted you to feel that way," the Aussie said, his voice filled with remorse. "I never meant to use you or make you feel like a trophy. You're so much more than that to me."
"Can you honestly say that you don't love me at all?" she asked, her voice laced with a mix of hope and uncertainty. She wanted to hear him deny any lingering affection, to free herself from the torment of half-truths and unrequited love.
Daniel's eyes softened as he looked at her, his voice filled with both regret and honesty. "I can't say that, Naomi. I did love you, and maybe a part of me still does. But I can't ignore the fact that my heart belongs to someone else. I think... I think we both deserve to find happiness, even if it means going our separate ways."
Naomi's tears fell unabated as she struggled to find her voice. "I don't know how to let you go. I can't imagine my life without you."
Daniel's expression mirrored her pain as he took a step closer, his voice filled with compassion. "I know it's hard, Naomi. But holding onto something that isn't meant to be will only bring more pain in the long run.
Naomi's heart ached as she listened to Daniel's words, knowing deep down that he was right. The truth was difficult to accept, but she couldn't deny the reality of their situation. It was time to let go, even if it meant facing a future without him.
"I don't want to be stuck in a love that's one-sided," Naomi whispered, her voice barely audible. "I deserve someone who loves me completely, just as I love them."
Daniel nodded, his eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and understanding. "You do deserve that, Nomi. And I hope you find it."
They stood there, locked in a bittersweet embrace, clinging to the fragments of their love one last time. The silence between them spoke volumes, filled with unspoken words and the weight of their unfulfilled dreams.
At that moment, they both knew it was time to say goodbye and start their separate journeys.
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