A TWIST OF FATE

CHAPTER 16 : THE GIRLFRIEND DILEMMA

In the days that followed my painful confession, everything felt different. The world outside continued to spin, but I was stuck in a haze of confusion and guilt. I threw myself into my studies, desperate to drown out the thoughts of Nex and the emotions that had taken root in my heart.

But no matter how hard I tried to focus, memories of him haunted me. I would catch glimpses of his smile in the hallways, hear his laughter echoing in my mind, and feel the weight of our unspoken connection pressing down on my chest. The ache of longing was a constant reminder of what I had sacrificed.

One afternoon, as I sat in the library, I felt a presence beside me. I looked up to see Sarah standing there, her expression unreadable. "Hey, can we talk?" she asked, her tone serious.I nodded, feeling a knot form in my stomach. "Sure."

We moved to a quieter corner, and she took a deep breath. "I wanted to check in on you. You seem... off."

"Just busy," I said, avoiding her gaze."Clare, I know you better than that. This is about Nex, isn't it?" she pressed, concern etched on her face.

I sighed, feeling the weight of my emotions resurface. "It's complicated. I told him I wanted to stop liking him."

"Did you really mean that?" she asked, her voice softening. "Because it doesn't seem like it.""I had to," I replied, the tears threatening to spill again. "He has a girlfriend. It's not fair to her, and it's not fair to him. I can't be the reason for any heartache."

Sarah shook her head. "But what if he feels the same way about you? You can't just ignore that."

"I have to," I insisted, my voice rising. "I can't let this go any further. I care too much about both of them.""Clare, you can't just erase your feelings. It doesn't work that way," she said, her tone serious. "You need to talk to him.""I can't!" I said, my frustration boiling over. "What am I supposed to say? 'Hey, I still like you, but I think you should stay with your girlfriend'? That's messed up.""Maybe it is," Sarah admitted, "but pretending it doesn't exist won't make it go away. You need to face this head-on."---

**That evening,** as I walked back to my dorm, my mind was racing. I replayed my conversation with Sarah, weighing her words against my own fears. The thought of Nex and his girlfriend loomed large in my mind, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being selfish for wanting him in my life.

As I entered my room, I felt a sudden wave of determination. I couldn't avoid this forever. I needed to talk to Nex, to figure out where we stood. I pulled out my phone, hesitating as I stared at his contact. After what felt like an eternity, I finally typed a message. *Can we meet? I need to talk.*I hit send and felt a rush of anxiety wash over me. What if he didn't want to talk? What if he had already moved on? Minutes passed like hours until my phone buzzed with a response.*Sure. Where?**Library?**Okay. I'll be there.*

When I arrived at the library, my heart raced with anticipation and dread. I found a quiet corner, trying to calm my racing thoughts. I glanced at the door, anxiously waiting for him to arrive. 

Each passing moment felt heavier, the weight of unspoken words pressing down on me.

Finally, I saw Nex enter, his expression a mix of hope and concern. He spotted me and walked over, his eyes searching mine. "Hey," he said softly, taking a seat across from me."Hey," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

The silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken truths. "So, what did you want to talk about?" he asked, his tone cautious.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I needed to say. "I've been thinking a lot about everything, and I realize how complicated this is."

"Clare, I don't want to complicate things either," Nex said, his voice low. "But I can't pretend I don't care about you."

"I know," I replied, feeling the tears well in my eyes again. "But I can't ignore your girlfriend. I don't want to hurt her, and I don't want to be the reason you two have problems."

Nex looked down, the weight of my words settling over him. "She means a lot to me," he said quietly. "But so do you."

The admission hung in the air, heavy and painful. "You can't just say that," I said, my voice trembling. "You have to think about what that means."

"I can't help how I feel," he said, frustration creeping into his tone. "I've tried to ignore it, but it just keeps coming back."

"Do you really want to risk everything for this?" I asked, my heart racing. "For me?"He paused, the conflict evident in his eyes. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I can't keep pretending I don't feel something for you. It's tearing me apart."

I felt my heart shatter at his words, the truth of our situation crashing down on me. "Nex, this isn't just about us anymore. There's someone else involved. I can't be the reason for anyone's pain."

"And I don't want to hurt you," he said, his voice raw. "But I can't keep living a lie."The tension between us thickened, the air charged with unresolved emotions. "You need to talk to her," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "You owe her that."

"I know," he replied, his expression pained. "But I'm scared. What if she gets hurt? What if I lose everything?"

"Then you need to decide what you really want," I said, tears spilling down my cheeks. "Because I can't keep living like this. I can't be the reason for any heartbreak."

Nex reached for my hand, but I pulled away, the distance between us feeling insurmountable. "I need to think," I said, my voice trembling. "I need to figure this out."

He nodded slowly, the hurt in his eyes mirrored my own.

The weight of our unspoken feelings hung between us, a reminder of the complicated web we had woven. As I stood to leave, I felt the ache in my heart deepen, knowing that whatever happened next, we were standing at a crossroads. 

The path ahead was fraught with uncertainty, and the reality of our situation threatened to tear us apart.