Between Love & Friendship

Chapter 9: The Morning After

As Emily walked back to the dorm, her mind was racing with thoughts of Alex, Samantha, and her own feelings. She couldn't believe what had happened at the party. She couldn't believe that her best friend and her crush had kissed. And she couldn't believe that Alex had told her he loved her.

She walked into the dorm room and saw that Samantha was already in bed, pretending to be asleep. Emily didn't know what to say to her, so she just climbed into her own bed and tried to fall asleep.

But sleep didn't come easily. She couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened. She couldn't stop replaying the images of Alex and Samantha in that room, locked in an embrace.

Finally, she must have fallen asleep, because when she woke up the next morning, Samantha was gone. She looked around the room, confused. Where had Samantha gone?

She got out of bed and checked her phone. There was a text from Alex.

"Emily, I know you're probably still upset and confused about what happened last night. But I need to see you. Can we meet for lunch? - Alex"

Emily didn't know what to do. Part of her wanted to see Alex, to hear him out and try to understand what had happened. But another part of her was still hurt and angry.

She put down her phone and walked to the window. She looked out at the campus, still asleep. She didn't know what the future held for her and Alex, or for her and Samantha. All she knew was that she needed time to think things over.

As Emily lay in bed, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease and betrayal. She tried to call Samantha, but her calls went straight to voicemail. She tried to text her, but there was no response. She didn't know what to do.

Finally, she decided to get up and start her day. She decided to meet Alex, and messaged him "Ok, our meeting spot?"
She had classes to attend before her lunch with Alex. She tried to push thoughts of Samantha and Alex out of her mind and focus on her studies.

But as she sat in her classes, her mind kept drifting back to the previous night. She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened, and about the text from Alex. She didn't know what to expect from their lunch, but she knew she needed to hear him out.

She finished her last class and headed to the meeting spot, her heart heavy with uncertainty. She saw Alex standing there, looking nervously at his phone. She took a deep breath and walked up to him.

"Hey," she said, trying to sound casual.

"Hey," he said, looking up at her with a mix of hope and apprehension in his eyes. "I'm glad you came."

They walked to the nearby café and sat down at a table. They ordered their food and sat in silence for a moment.

"Emily, I know you're probably still upset and confused about what happened last night," he began. "But I need to tell you something. I love you, Emily. And I'm sorry for what happened with Samantha. It was a mistake and I regret it deeply."

Emily listened to him, trying to process what he was saying. She didn't know what to feel or what to say.

"I understand if you don't feel the same way," he continued. "I just had to tell you how I feel."

Emily looked at him, her heart heavy with emotion. She didn't know what the future held for them, but she knew that she needed some time to think things over.

"I need to go," she said, standing up abruptly. "I have to think about all this. I'll call you later."

Alex nodded, looking sad and resigned. Emily turned and walked out of the café, her heart heavy with uncertainty.

As Emily walked out of the café, her mind was awhirl with thoughts and emotions. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She didn't know what to feel or what to do. She decided to try to reach Samantha again, but her calls and texts still went unanswered.

As she walked back to her dorm, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She decided to call Alex again and ask him if he knew anything about Samantha's whereabouts.

"Alex, it's Emily," she said when he picked up. "I haven't heard from Samantha and I'm starting to get worried. Do you know anything about where she might be?"

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. "Emily, I think you should come over to my dorm," he said finally. "I think it's better if we talk in person."

Emily's heart sank. She didn't know what to expect, but she knew she needed to hear whatever he had to say. She made her way over to his dorm and knocked on the door.

When he opened the door, she could see the sadness and guilt in his eyes. "Come in," he said, leading her to his room.

Once they were seated, Alex took a deep breath and began to speak. "Emily, I don't know how to tell you this, but Samantha is gone. She left school early this morning and I don't know where she is or when she'll be back."

Emily felt a lump form in her throat. "What do you mean, she's gone? Where did she go? Why didn't she tell me?"

"I don't know," Alex said, shaking his head. "All I know is that she was really upset after last night. She didn't say much, but I could tell she was hurting. I think she needed some time to herself to figure things out."

Emily felt her heart break for her best friend. She didn't know what to say or do. She felt guilty for not being there for Samantha, and for letting things get so out of hand.