Reasons Why We Broke Up (Now available on Amazon)

TIME STOPPED

Marriage and kids were never on my mind; I didn't want that. Never thought I'd find... ever have the girl of my dreams. But when I met Emily, it was almost as if I was intertwined with love.

We barely knew each other.

Our paths crossed on Mondays and Wednesdays, at exactly 6.10 a.m. She'd come into the office kitchen and set up breakfast for the team; we'd pass pleasantries.

She took the leap first by asking me, "Would you like my number?"

I must've been high on love because I took it, messaging her without hesitation as if she was leaving my life.

Surprisingly, Emily replied to every one of my babbling messages.

A week after she gave me her number, I wanted to get to know Emily outside of our mornings together and text messages, so I worked up the courage to type, "Do you want to hang out?"

You should've seen how giddy I was when I read, "Sure." I was swept up in the world of love.

"7 p.m. Thursday? Gutter Ball?"

Emily's reply said that she was fine with the idea, and she'd meet me there.

Probably weird for two thirty-year-olds to go bowling, but I wanted to see her smile, notice how competitive she could get, hear her laughter, even notice the little ways she scrunched up her face as the ball hit the gutter.

I was hypnotised by the woman in front of me. It was as if Cupid had hit me with an arrow as she sat down waiting for me to take my fourth turn.

Emily looked beautiful as she picked up her drink. The way she averted her eyes from me; the way she pushed a piece of stray hair from her face...

We hadn't even made it through the first date when my waste of a mouth said, "Emily, I love you."

It was almost as if time had stopped. Maybe she had stopped breathing?

The pit in my stomach felt heavy as Emily opened her mouth. "Thanks."

Maybe we were back to square one.

Driving home left me alone with my thoughts; thoughts of how easily I'd stuffed it all up.