Blaine's phone rang which was something it hadn't done all summer except when he called some of his old Dalton buddies to catch up. Most everyone he was friends with left Ohio after graduation and even he only came back during the summer. The summer sun cast a glare across the screen and he shaded it with his hand to read the caller ID. When the screen was in enough shadow, Blaine could make out the name perfectly: Kurt. His stomach fluttered a little in excitement for he hadn't actually heard his boyfriend's voice in a few weeks. He pressed the green button and raised the cell phone to his ear.

"Hi Kurt," he exclaimed into the phone, letting his excitement seep through the speaker.

The other line hesitated for a bit before the familiar voice replied less enthusiastically, "hello Blaine."

"How are you?" Blaine asked, closing the book he had been reading. He shifted the phone to his other ear and went back inside so he could clearly hear his boyfriend on the other line.

"I'm not so good actually," Kurt murmured on the other end, somewhat uncomfortable. "Are you feeling okay? Are you sick?" Blaine asked furrowing his brow in concern.

"No, Blaine. I'm not alright. We're not alright," Kurt blurted out.

Blaine felt a knot form in his stomach, "I-I don't understand…"

Kurt sighed heavily on the other line in frustration and exasperation, "Blaine, I don't think I can do this anymore."

"Do what? Live in New York? I'm here in Ohio if you want to come back. Or you could come to California—"

"That's not what I meant," Kurt groaned. "Us. I can't do us anymore!"

Blaine's heart was fluttering and he felt like the oxygen in the room had vanished, "is it the distance?"

"Yeah but—"

"I can come to New York! I'll withdraw my enrollment in California and get a plane ticket today. I can—"

"Blaine!" Kurt wailed into the phone. "I can't be with you anymore and not just because of the distance. We never talk anymore—"

"You're just busy—"

"I haven't been with you for a year—"

"It's just a few hours drive and I can be there for you—"

"I don't want to lead anyone on—"

"We've always been open and honest with each other—"

"I don't feel like this is even a relationship anymore—"

"I love you, Kurt," Blaine's voice broke as he said Kurt's name. His eyes were welling up with burning tears and his chest felt like lead. The line on the other side went silent but not dead, Blaine could still hear background noise on the other end. There was a shuffling noise and Kurt gave a light and breathy sigh.

"I don't, Blaine," he murmured. Blaine's stomach fell out from his abdomen and he felt like he was going to be sick. The lump in his throat grew thick and threatened to shut off his voice altogether. "I think it's time we end things," Kurt went on after a moment. "I've met someone else and I-I want to see how things go with him and you should date other people as well. We can still be friends..."

Blaine took the receiver away from his mouth and gave one quiet sob. He took a deep breath and put the phone back to his ear, "sure. If-If this is what you want then…" Blaine purposefully cut off, not sure if he could bear to utter the words himself.

"I'm sorry it couldn't work out," Kurt murmured. "I am glad that you were my first, Blaine."

Tears began flowing freely down Blaine's face, "yeah, me too," he breathed.

"Take care," Kurt murmured.

Blaine nodded trying to keep his voice from shaking but failing, "you too."

"Good-bye Blaine."

Blaine took a shaky breath, "good-bye Kurt," he croaked. The line went dead and Blaine was left alone in that room as tears began to pour in rivers down his face. He dropped the phone onto the kitchen table he was standing next to and he sank into one of the chairs, his legs unable to support him any longer. Sobs racked his body and he wrapped his arms around himself, trying to keep the broken pieces of his soul together. Half of his heart was missing, beating out a strange new rhythm to the tune of his sorrow. He never felt so alone.

Blaine sat on the sofa in his apartment and stared blankly at the floor. Since Nate had come into his life, Blaine's dreams had been delightful but last night Blaine's subconscious forced him to relive his worst nightmare, thrusting him back into his past and forcing him to live the through the worst moment of his short life. He couldn't shake his sour mood from the night before when Kurt left so abruptly after the show. Blaine had tossed and turned for half of the night, brooding over how he was slighted by his friend. Normally if it had been Elise who left to go be with John, he would have no problem with it. In fact, he would probably be happy for her that she had plans with the guy. Why did Kurt just leave so quickly? It wasn't something he had said, Blaine ruled out that possibility at about two o'clock in the morning in between fits of troubled sleep. Kurt just left. Blaine didn't say or do anything wrong that he could think of. Kurt just left. Much like in the nightmare he relived last night, Kurt walked out on him for Glen. Why did Blaine suddenly feel negatively about the man? He has never even seen much less spoken to Glen, why this sudden bout of disdain? Kurt was happy with Glen and was set to marry him in less than two weeks so why was Blaine upset?

Blaine started when he heard a forceful knock at the door. He rose from his couch and went through the kitchen and paused at the door. He peaked through the peep-hole and saw the familiar black hair of his friend. He sighed, not really in the mood to entertain friends but he could not say no to this one. He opened the door a crack, "what's the password?" he demanded.

"I have movies and wine," Elise replied impatiently.

"Enter," Blaine decreed opening the door all the way. Elise stormed into the apartment and set her huge purse down on his kitchen table.

"We're not eighteen, you don't have to smuggle booze into my house," Blaine teased as she removed a bottle of white wine from the bag. She grinned at him and set it down and went rummaging in his china cabinets for glasses. "To what do I owe this visit?"

"Can't a gal just bring wine and movies over and chat with her gay best friend?" Elise asked fishing two wine glasses from the shelf in front of her. Blaine shrugged and looked through her purse at the films she brought as she poured them wine.

"This late in the day though? It's already five in the afternoon."

"Well you haven't seen my lovely face in over forty-eight hours, so I figured you were overdue. Especially since you and Nate bailed on our double date last night."

"Sorry about that," he replied taking one of the DVD's out of its case and popping it into the player in his den. Elise came over with two full wine glasses and plopped down on his sofa as Blaine hit play on the movie. He and Elise had seen it at least a dozen times but whenever they watched it, it was usually just for background noise while they talked. Elise brought it with her, so Blaine assumed she was in the chatty mood. He settled down on the sofa next to his friend and took the glass of wine from her outstretched hand.

"Thanks," he muttered as he took a sip.

"So," she began as the opening credits rolled.

"I figured you didn't just come over here for a movie."

"Obviously not. But you knew that when you let me in. So spill," she ordered, sipping delicately from her glass.

"About what? I've had a very eventful two days," Blaine groaned.

"Start from Friday. What happened? Where did you go? What did you do?" Elise gabbed, asking one question right after another.

Blaine heaved a sigh and settled in for a long story. He began with the shopping adventure he had with Kurt and how it had been pretty successful. She would pause and ask him short questions like which stores they went to. Eventually, he got to the fashion show bit and told her every detail about that too, including the hand-holding bit with Kurt. She wrinkled her nose at that part, but didn't make a comment about it. She laughed at his description of the fashion designer's collection heartily.

"Did he really mix neon fabric with animal print in an evening gown?" she laughed.

"With sequins."

"Who would wear that?" Blaine shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, now what happened after the show?"

So Blaine told her about getting mobbed by the press and being blinded by the camera flashes. He talked about Kurt's diplomacy and how well he interacted with other people in the fashion business. He told her how he followed Kurt around for the most of the evening just smiling and making small talk. Then he got into his meeting with Meredith and how she offered him a position at the amateur show. He paused and sipped his wine.

"I assume the show didn't go well?" Elise asked glancing at the movie on the screen that was already half over.

Blaine swallowed the mouthful of wine, "what would lead you to believe that?"

"I know you and when you get excited, you're like a puppy. I wouldn't have made it through the door before you told me you won." Blaine nodded in agreement. "So what happened?"

Blaine sighed, the disappointment now fresh in his mind. "I sang 'Hey Jude' and played the piano. I came in second to a guy who was killer. He definitely deserved to win, he was crazy talented."

"Then why so glum, chum? You said it yourself, he deserved to win," Elise pointed out.

Blaine shrugged his shoulders, "it was just one of the bigger shows I've played and there was good money if I came in first—"

"Did Kurt show up?" she cut in. He sighed looking down at his glass and back at the movie screen. "I thought so, I can read you like a freakin' book. What happened?"

Another sigh came from Blaine. "He showed up just in time to see me perform. I didn't see him until I went to leave. I was talking to people who watched the show and made my way to the main lobby. Kurt came in a few minutes later and said how well I did. He then told me he couldn't stay and talk for a while because Glen was waiting for him at their apartment. We hugged and he went back to his fiancé."

"That's what's got you down, isn't it? Elise asked crossing her arms and swirling what was left of the wine in her glass.

"Why would I be upset? There is no reason for me to be upset about anything! Kurt made the time to come see me perform, I'm grateful he is such a good friend!" Blaine spat defensively.

Elise smiled at him smugly, "and yet you're upset."

Blaine opened his mouth to deny it but he couldn't, he was upset about last night. He slumped down in his seat and downed the last of the wine in his glass. "Yeah," Blaine grunted. "I dreamed about him last night," he whispered turning back to watch the movie. "I dreamed about the day he broke it off. It was the exact conversation we had over the phone five years ago."

"Oh, Blaine," Elise murmured setting her glass down and cuddling up to Blaine's side.

He rested his cheek on the top of her head, both of their gazes fixed on the television, "after the show Friday we went for a walk. He apologized for ending things on the note he had," Blaine gave a dark laugh, "you know what's funny?"

"What?"

"We were still together when he made-out with Glen for the first time. He felt guilty about cheating and broke up with me the day after because he didn't want to lead me on. He didn't even tell me that until the other night," Blaine shook his head numbly, the short hair on the top of Elise's head tickling his nose. "I don't even think he would have told me if I hadn't asked."

Elise stayed quiet a moment, staring at the screen deep in thought. "You still love him don't you?" she asked quietly without moving her gaze from the screen.

Tears welled in Blaine's eyes and one fat drop slid down his face and disappeared in Elise's hair. "I don't even know what I feel anymore. I still care for Nate, but I don't love him like I loved Kurt. I thought after coming to New York I would have a clean slate and I could find another man to sweep me off my feet, that I'd find someone like Nate. And even after Kurt came back into my life, I thought I was safe because he's engaged. But…"

"You're still not over Kurt," Elise stated.

Another tear slid down Blaine's cheek, "no. I'm not."