Emma:Good. Text him. Be honest. No overthinking.
Me:I will andI’ll try.
Before I can type more, another notification pops up.
Ellie:HOLD ON. I go offline for one night and suddenly there’s drama?? Someone explain before I assume Sarah burned something down.
Neither of us texts her back quick enough because she immediately texts again.
Ellie: Okay someone better catch me up before I start assuming crimes were committed.
My eyebrows lift.
Emma:She went on a date. And it… imploded.
Ellie:HOW??? Did she threaten him with a stapler? Did he hate documentaries? Did he insult The Brew House pastries??
Me:No. I just… left early. It was a mess.
Ellie:Is he alive?? Do we need to send a muffin basket? A fruit bouquet? A therapy coupon??
Emma:Ignore her. But seriously, text him. He seems like a nice guy.
I roll onto my back and stare at the ceiling. My chest still feels bruised, my stomach twisted with guilt I can’t shake. I hate that Brian was kind and patient while I sat there barely keeping myself together and pretty much ignoring him. He didn’t deserve the version of me he got.
But mostly, I hate that all it took was one look from Jace to send everything spiraling. To send me spiraling!
Me:I feel awful. Brian didn’t do anything wrong.
Emma:Then text him.
Own it.
Ellie:Yes. Be an adult. A hot adult. A hot adult who apologizes.
I huff out a weak laugh, then stare at my phone.
Emma’s right. Ellie’s… Ellie.
And Brian deserves better than what he got.
Ellie: You’re allowed to be in a weird emotional place, but don’t ghost the nice dude. That’s bad karma.
She’s right. She’s always right in the way only best friends are, it’s annoying, and she is relentless, but I love her anyway..
I close my eyes and exhale through the guilt sitting heavy on my sternum.
Brian was nothing but considerate. He told a story about his sister’s wedding, laughed easily, asked questions, and held eye contact. He wasn’t pushy and somehow managed to be genuinely good company without overstepping anything.
And I still left him there.
Because I’m an idiot apparently.
I sit up, grab my phone with both hands, and type slowly.
Me:Hi. I wanted to apologize for leaving so suddenly last night. It had nothing to do with you. The night was just… a lot, and I didn’t handle it well. I’m really sorry.
I hit send before I can rewrite it twelve times.
