Unexpected love

Part 12: The Unintended Bond

Days turned into a blur, each one marked by my attempts to lift Sarah's spirits. I never wanted to be in this position, to be the one she leaned on in her darkest moments, but there I was, trying to be the friend she needed.

It wasn't what I had in mind when I first started talking to her, but now, it seemed like I had no choice. I was locked in, and there was no easy way out.

Sarah's sadness was like a dark cloud that hung over our conversations. Every day, she would tell me how she was feeling—how she was trying to move on, but how much it hurt.

I did my best to care for her, to make her smile, even though it was far from easy.

On a call one afternoon, she sounded particularly down.  TG," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper,  I don't know how to do this. It's like... every time I think I'm okay, I just... I'm not.

I sighed, trying to find the right words to comfort her.  Sarah, healing takes time. You can't rush it, you know? But you're strong. You'll get through this, I promise.

There was a long pause on her end before she replied, But what if I don't? What if I'm just... broken now?

I frowned, hating how much pain she was in. You're not broken, Sarah. You're hurting, yeah, but you're not broken. You'll heal, and you'll come out stronger. You just have to believe that.

She didn't respond, but I could hear her soft breathing on the other end, like she was trying to hold back tears.

I hated that I couldn't be there in person to comfort her, to let her know she wasn't alone. But all I could do was speak to her through the phone, hoping that my words were enough.

Meanwhile, my friends were starting to notice how much time I was spending talking to Sarah.

One day, as I was sitting on the couch, my phone buzzing in my hand, Musa leaned over and gave me a sly grin.

Yo, TG,  he said, nudging me with his elbow, who's the girl you're always chatting with, huh? You've been glued to that phone for days, man.

I rolled my eyes, trying to brush him off. None of your business, man, I muttered, but he wasn't letting up.

Come on, don't be shy, he teased, leaning in closer.  We all know you've got a thing going on with someone. You gonna tell us who she is, or are we gonna have to start guessing?

It's not like that, I insisted, though I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks.  We're just friends.

Musa gave me a skeptical look.  Yeah, right. Just friends. That's why you're always smiling at your phone, huh? C'mon, TG, we're not blind.

Before I could respond, Honest chimed in from across the room, a wide grin on his face. Hey, maybe he's got himself a secret girlfriend, he joked, making the others laugh.  Wouldn't be the first time, right?

Shut up, I grumbled, trying to focus on my phone, but the teasing continued.

Nah, for real though,  Musa said, leaning back in his chair.  You're always talking to her, man. Must be something special. What's her name? Is she pretty?

I hesitated, not sure how to respond. **"Her name's Sarah, I finally admitted, not meeting their eyes.

Sarah, huh? Musa repeated, raising an eyebrow.  And is she pretty?

I shrugged, trying to play it cool. She's alright, I said, but they didn't miss the way I avoided the question.

Uh-huh, Honest said, grinning. Sounds like someone's got it bad. You sure you're just friends, TG?

Yes, we're just friends, I snapped, more harshly than I intended.

They all laughed, but thankfully, they let it go after that. Still, the teasing stuck with me, making me question my own feelings. Was I really just being a friend to Sarah, or was there something more?

That night, after another long conversation with Sarah, I lay in bed staring up at the ceiling, my thoughts swirling.

She was different from anyone I'd ever been close to-vulnerable, yes, but also strong in her own way. She was trying so hard to move on, to heal, and I couldn't help but admire her for that.

But I also couldn't ignore the way my feelings were changing. Every time I heard her voice, every time I saw her name pop up on my screen, I felt a pang of something I couldn't quite define.

Was it just friendship, or was it something more? And if it was something more, what did that mean for us?

I tried to push those thoughts away, reminding myself of my vow—no more getting close to women, no more opening myself up to getting hurt.

But it was getting harder to keep that promise to myself.

Sarah was starting to mean more to me than I was comfortable with, and I didn't know how to stop it.

As I lay there, my phone buzzed with a new message from her. I picked it up, hesitating for a moment before opening it.

Thanks for everything, TG, her message read. I don't know what I'd do without you right now.

I stared at the screen, my heart heavy. I knew I should say something comforting, something that would help her feel better, but all I could think was,  What am I getting myself into?

I typed out a reply, simple and straightforward. You don't have to thank me, Sarah. I'm here for you, always.

As I hit send, I couldn't shake the feeling that things were only going to get more complicated from here. I was in too deep, and I knew it. But for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to pull away.

And that scared me more than anything.