Experts say that absence and distance make the heart grow fonder, but it seems this was not the case for Niall Horan of One Direction, and Australian gem, Melissa Whitelaw.

The couple were in a long distance relationship, and it just was not working out for Niall, according to a new reports.

A source reported to the Sun that the pair kept a low profile romance, but knew it would offer its challenges due to the distance between them.

"Niall and Melissa did well to keep their romance low profile during their time together. They were really close and had fun whenever they went out together," said the source.

"But realistically they always knew it was going to be tough, keeping a relationship going with such distance between them."

Niall and Melissa, who is a student in Sydney, were first linked together in February, when a fan spotted them and took a few pictures of them kissing in a bar over the Valentine's Day weekend.

The fan said, "I saw it and it was more than one time. They're kissing in the photos, there's a girls head in the way."

Then, in April, it was reported that Niall brought Melissa to the United Kingdom in order to get acquainted with his friends.

According to a report made by a source to the Mirror, "Melissa met the rest of [One Direction] on tour, when she first grew close to Niall, but after flying over to spend some time with him, they now see her as his girlfriend." Apparently, things just did not work out.