Option 3- the breakup

That night, the air was calm and a light Chinook was blowing. They met in the parking lot and, like usual, Theo took her hand. It was warm in hers and she held it tightly. He led her to the little playground and she sat on the swing. For a while, he pushed her in silence, and after a few moments, when her face was frozen with the cold, he stopped her gently. “Taylor.”
“Yes?” she nodded, leaning into his warmth.
“I like you a lot.”
“I know, silly. I like you, too.” She smiled. She could hear him taking a breath from behind, before he came around and faced her, shaking his head.
“But that’s the thing.”
“What’s the thing?”
“You really… don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
He was quiet again for a few seconds. “You really… don’t like me. In that way. Crap, Taylor, it’s killing me to say this.”
“Then don’t say it.” Tears threatened the corner of Taylor’s eyes. “I do like you! I do!”
He pulled her into a hug. “It’s okay. I’m just so glad that you’ve let me share a part of your life for as long as you have.”
“W-what do you mean? Are you breaking up with me?” He was trying to pull that whole “I wanna break up with you but blame it on something else” thing, wasn’t he? A bomb went off.
“I really don’t want to. I really wanted this to work but… I don’t know if we were ever really and truly together. I mean, after a while, there’s only so much rejection I can handle.” He looked right into her eyes with such a sad smile that Taylor could only believe what he said to be true.
The flame of rage left her as quickly as it had come and she could only ask, “Why?” shaking so hard that she nearly fell off of the swing. Of course, he had probably figured out what an awful person she really was and decided to call it quits then and there. But wait, he’d said… rejection?
“What do you mean… rejection…” she spoke slowly, and her heart was forming a half- baked answer before her mind could fully catch up.
“I tried to be understanding. I really did. And you were great. Don’t ever doubt that. But you two- you two are, like, in your own world. And it’s a place that I can’t crack the code to enter.” Theo pulled her to her feet so she could rest fully in his protection, but Taylor couldn’t say anything. “At first I blamed it on what you’d told me about your past together.  But after a while, even I could see- well- feel it. There’s something between you two that just doesn’t exist between us, no matter how badly I want it to. And I do. I did.” Suddenly, a great, heaving sob escaped Taylor and she had no idea where it’d come from. Theo didn’t say anything but held her tighter. Why was he saying such things?! Yes, she and Casey had their own world, but it was just because of what they’d been through together. He was not her boyfriend. And then she realized that Theo hadn’t even mentioned who this other person was that shared her two person world, and yet she knew.
“It’s n- not true,” she managed to choke out.
Theo backed away from her, shutting his eyes. “What colour are they?”
“W-what?”
“My eyes. I don’t want to hurt you. But you have to understand. You have no idea, do you?” he said, sad but accepting. It was true. She didn’t. “But I bet you know his.” It was true. She did. But did it have to mean something?
“It means everything, Taylor. From the very start, you were never completely present for me, during most of our time together. It was always about… him.”
Here another sob came out. “But I really liked you…” Just, not enough, the voice in her head told her.
He smoothed her hair, over and over again.  “It’s going to be okay. I’m going to be okay and so are you. But there’s one thing I need you to remember. You haven’t done anything wrong. I’m so happy that I got to know you like this.” He traced the tear as it fell down her cheek. How badly she’d hurt him, and he was comforting her. “But please don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
“Okay,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. It’d be kinder to let him go, wouldn’t it? And she’d go back to being alone. It was as if he read her thoughts, sensed that she was letting him end this. He sighed, and Taylor could feel him putting something into her pocket. “Look at it later,” he whispered. Theo backed up from her for a second and looked up at the sky. “You know, I almost wished you would beg me to stay, put up more of a fight. But since you’ve let me give you up so easily, I know I’m doing the right thing.” His smile was starting to break as he brought his face close to hers one last time.
“T-Theo… I-”
He came closer, silencing her as their lips touched once again.  It was deep and soft and one of the most tender things she had ever experienced. Taylor could taste the salt of her tears mixed in with his as he pressed deeper, shaking a little, then started to pull away. She could feel the finality as the blast of winter hit her suddenly where he had been, wretched knowing that she’d never feel that warmth again. She started to shiver, wanting to tell him how sorry she was, wishing she could’ve been normal, been what he deserved. She stuttered and he just shook his head. “I know. And I’m going to hold you until the bad feeling goes away.” Taylor could only nod, and he pulled her into his lap, sitting on the frost-covered bench.  They sat there for minutes, or hours, or even days, as the snow built up around them. Taylor’s face was buried deep in his neck and her arms were wrapped tightly around his shoulders as he held on. But inevitably, their time was up. Gently, he removed her from his grasp and untangled her arms. Everything she experienced went in slow-motion: the last time they would kiss, hug, or sit together. The last time he would touch her arm like that. She checked each off in her mind as the list of things to come dwindled and faded, until there was nothing left to do but stand as he guided her to her feet. “Thank you,” he whispered in her ear. Taylor turned, eyes wide.
“For letting me end it like this. I wouldn’t’ve been able to continue. So now, Miss Blythe, goodbye.” He ‘tipped’ his hood like an old-fashioned gentlemen, and for the first time in his life, walked on ahead of her. Taylor didn’t move, but watched him walk up and back to his car, where she pretended not to notice the tears streaming down his grin-covered face as he drove away. Then, she herself got into her van, wet and cold like she deserved, pushed the seat forward and crawled into the back, crying like a baby, until the world became black.