With all close relationships, especially when you've really hurt someone, it's essential to show the injured party (in this case your girlfriend or boyfriend) how important the relationship is to you. As we note above in this article on how to apologize, we like the idea of both a written and verbal apology. Your apology letter should come first and include an invitation for a face-to-face follow up where you can discuss the situation now that you've started the process of making amends If this doesn't feel quite right for you and your relationship then think about other ways to apologize that still reflect how seriously you're taking the matter.