Forever ; W.S

18. heavy heart

IRL

Walker sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his phone with a heavy heart. The echoes of the party were still fresh in his mind, and he couldn't shake the image of Penelope standing there, her face a mix of surprise and emotion. He had hoped to keep his feelings at bay, to avoid the pain of confronting his mistakes, but the night had made it clear that he needed to make things right.

He took a deep breath and picked up his phone, the screen glowing softly in the dim room. He was determined to reach out to Penelope, to clear the air and offer a genuine apology. He tapped on her contact and began typing, each word carefully chosen to convey his remorse and his hope for a resolution.

IMESSAGES

Lola 💓

Hey Lola,
I hope you're doing well after tonight.
I've been thinking a lot about everything
that happened at the party and wanted to
reach out. Seeing you there was a huge
surprise, and honestly, it was a lot more
emotional for me than I thought it would be.

I've been reflecting on our friendship
and the way things ended between us. I
realize now that I let my jealousy and
insecurities get the best of me. I let those
feelings push you away, and I deeply regret
that. I've been really struggling with the fact that
I lost one of my closest friends because
of my own mistakes.

I know that just saying sorry doesn't
make everything okay, and I understand if
you're still hurt or if you need more time. I want
to make things right, but I also want to respect
your space and your feelings. It's important to
me that you know I'm genuinely sorry for how
I acted and for the way I let my emotions
impact our relationship.

Tonight, seeing you at the party made me
realize just how much I miss having you in my
life. It was a reminder of the good times we
shared and how much I want to work through
this and find a way back to where we were.
I'm not asking for everything to be fixed
immediately or for things to go back to
normal overnight. I just want you to know that
I'm committed to doing the work needed to
rebuild the trust between us.

If you're open to it, I'd really like to have
a more in-depth conversation with you when
you're ready. I want to hear how you're
feeling, understand what you need, and see if
we can find a way to move forward. But I also
want you to take your time and do what feels
right for you.

Thank you for reading this message.
I appreciate you taking the time to hear me out.
I miss our friendship and hope that, with
time and effort, we can find a way to reconnect.

IRL

He stared at the message, his finger hovering over the send button. Doubt crept in, but he pushed it aside, reminding himself of why he was reaching out in the first place. He had made a mistake, and the only way to move forward was to own up to it and show Penelope that he was willing to make amends.

Walker pressed send and watched as the message disappeared into the digital ether. A sense of relief mixed with anxiety washed over him. He had done what he could; now it was up to Penelope to decide how to proceed.

The next morning, Walker went about his day with a cloud of unease hanging over him. His usual routines felt hollow without Penelope's presence in his life. He went to the gym, worked out, and grabbed a smoothie, but his mind was elsewhere, replaying the moments from the party and the message he had sent.

As he sat in a small café, sipping his smoothie and scrolling through social media, penelopes instgram obviously, his phone buzzed with a new message notification. His heart skipped a beat as he saw Penelope's name on the screen. He took a deep breath and opened the message, his palms sweaty with anticipation.

IMESSAGES

Lola 💓

Hey Walker,

Thank you for your message. I appreciate
you reaching out and being honest about
your feelings. It was surprising to see
you at the party, and I've been trying
to process everything since then.

I've been feeling a lot of things—hurt,
confusion, and even anger. Our friendship
meant a lot to me, and it's been hard
to deal with the way things ended. Your
message made me realize how much I miss
having you in my life, but it also reminded
me of the reasons we drifted apart.

I'm not sure if I'm ready to jump back into
things or if I'm ready to forgive and forget.
I need some time to think about what I
want and how I feel. I hope you understand
that this isn't about you or me not wanting
to fix things—it's about me needing to figure
out what's best for myself.

Thank you for giving me the space to process
this. I'll reach out when I'm ready to talk more.

Take care, 
Penelope

IRL

Walker read the message with relief. Penelope had acknowledged his feelings, and while she wasn't ready to jump back into their friendship immediately, she hadn't shut him out completely. It was a small victory, but it was enough to give him hope.

He put his phone down and took a deep breath. He knew that rebuilding their friendship would take time and effort, and he was prepared to put in both. For now, he would respect Penelope's need for space and wait for the opportunity to show her that he was committed to making things right.

As he finished his smoothie and prepared to head out, Walker felt a glimmer of optimism. He had taken the first step toward mending their relationship, and now all he could do was wait and hope for the chance to rebuild what had been lost.