One of Bachelor Nation's most beloved couples is putting a pause on their romance.

On Friday afternoon, Colton Underwood and Cassie Randolph announced on Instagram that they were breaking up after

One of Bachelor Nation's most beloved couples is putting a pause on their romance.

On Friday afternoon, Colton Underwood and Cassie Randolph announced on Instagram that they were breaking up after less than two years of dating.

"I want to say this is one of the hardest things I have had to share as neither one of us is quite ready to talk about it yet. However, because our relationship is such a public one, our silence on the matter has been speaking for us," Cassie shared on social media. "Colton and I have broken up, but have decided to remain a part of each others lives. With all that we have gone through, we have a special bond that will always be there."

Colton also confirmed the news in a candid post on Instagram.

"Cass and I have been doing a lot of self-reflecting. Sometimes people are just meant to be friends—and that's okay," The First Time author explained. "We both have grown immensely and been through so much together—so this isn't the end of our story, it's the start of a whole new chapter for us."