JUST ONE MORE CHANCE

Chapter 17

FREEN'S POV

We are in her bedroom. We already had our dinner and now we are cuddling in her bed. She is hugging me and resting her head on my chest. I'm also hugging her back but my mind is somewhere else.

It’s been hours since I read her diary  but my mind is stuck on every word she wrote. She’s been in love with me for three years and I had no idea. No clue that the girl who’s been my best friend, the one who knows me better than anyone, was hiding something so huge.

As I flipped through those pages, I could feel her in every word—the way she talked about us, about me, like I was the center of her world. And the fact that she kept it all hidden for so long? It’s almost overwhelming.

She wrote about her feelings—about losing me, about not wanting to risk our friendship. And now that I think about it, there were moments over the years that seemed off, moments where maybe I should’ve noticed something, but I never put it together. How could I have been so blind? All those times she stayed by my side and I didn’t see it.

And now that we’re together, I understand so much more. I can feel the weight she’s been carrying. She loved me long before I ever saw her that way, and it’s wild to think that all this time, while I was clueless, she was right there, holding onto this secret, trying to protect what we had.

I feel guilty in a way. I’ve always loved her, but it took me a while to realize how much. How many times did I unknowingly hurt her? How many moments did I miss where she was right there, hoping I’d feel something more?

But more than guilt, I feel… lucky. Because despite everything—despite all the years of her holding back—she still stayed. She stayed by my side, never letting on how much it hurt, never giving up on me. And now, we’re finally here, together, and I don’t want to take that for granted.

She’s always been the most important person in my life, and now that I know how long she’s been feeling this way, it makes me appreciate what we have even more. Knowing she’s been in love with me for so long—it makes me want to show her how much she means to me, how much I care about her, even if I didn’t realize it from the start.

I want to tell her I read it. I need to tell her. She deserves to know it. But I also know how vulnerable she was in those pages, how much she didn’t want me to know. I don’t want to make her feel exposed or embarrassed.

But I can’t just keep this inside, either. Not now.

"Bec, are you awake?" I asked and she just hummed in response, snuggling more into my chest.

I took a deep breath,"I need to talk to you about something." I said. She moved her head up and looked at me.

"What is it about?" She asked, her voice gentle.

I could feel my palms sweating. How do you tell someone you’ve violated their privacy? How do you admit to crossing a line you never should have crossed?

“I... I did something,” I began, my voice shaking a little. “Something I shouldn’t have.”

She got up from me and sat down on the bed properly,"What are you talking about." I also got up and sat beside her.

“I read your diary.” The words were out before I could stop them, hanging in the air between us, heavier than I imagined they’d be. Her eyes widened, and I could see the shock, the confusion, starting to settle in. My heart dropped.

“You what?” she whispered, her voice barely audible. I could feel the disappointment in her tone.

“I—I’m sorry,” I blurted, scrambling for the right words. “It was stupid, I know.     I—I don’t know why I did it. Curiosity, I guess? I saw 'FB' written on it, so I couldn't stop myself. But that’s not an excuse. I should’ve never done it, and now I feel terrible. I didn’t mean to invade your privacy, but I did, and I’m so sorry.”

She didn’t say anything at first. She just stared at me, trying to process what I’d said.

“What did you read?” she finally asked, her voice a little heavy.

"Your entries… about me,about us. About how you felt before we got together.” I looked down, ashamed. “I read about how you were afraid to tell me you loved me, about how you didn’t want to ruin our friendship. And it just—it made me realize how much I didn’t notice before, how blind I was to not see what you were going through.”

She was quiet again, and I couldn’t read her expression. That made it worse.

“I swear, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” I added quickly, my voice desperate now. “I just—once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. I know I shouldn't have done it."

She sighed, her shoulders dropping slightly, “Why didn’t you just ask me if you were curious?” she asked, her voice softer than I expected.

“I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking. I wasn’t thinking about how it would affect you.”

The silence between us felt like an eternity. I couldn’t meet her eyes.

The guilt was unbearable. I had crossed a line and now I was scared of what was coming. I expected her to be furious, hurt, maybe even to walk away. I had messed up, and I knew it.

But then, she surprised me.

“I... I can’t believe you did that,” she said softly, her voice steady but not harsh. I could hear the disappointment, but there was something else, too—something gentler. “But... I also get it.”

I blinked, daring to look up at her. “You do?”

She sighed, her expression a mix of hurt and understanding. “Yeah. I’m not saying it’s okay, because it’s not. You crossed a line. My diary is where I put all the things I was too scared to say out loud. It's personal. I feel kind of exposed. But I also know you didn’t mean to hurt me. I can see how sorry you are and how much you care about me.”

I felt the weight in my chest loosen just a little. “I am. I’m so sorry. And I'll do anything to make it up for you."

She smiled then, a small, gentle smile,"It's okay. I can understand. And we are together now so... I don't need to hide anything from you."

I couldn’t believe how calm and understanding she is, how willing she is to work through this with me instead of pushing me away.

“I don’t deserve how patient you’re being with me,” I said, shaking my head.

She smiled again, a little brighter this time. “It’s because I know you, and I know your heart. I can see how honest you are being with me."

"And you are not mad at me anymore?" I asked, looking at her.

"I am....", she said, moving closer to me,"But you can.... Kiss me to make me feel better." She add, tracing her fingers along my shoulder. A playful smirk on her face.

"Is it so?" I said pulling her closer and making her sit on my lap.

"Uh-huh.." She responded looking at my lips, her face is so close to mine.

And without wasting a second I kissed her and she kissed me back. It started slowly—a gentle kiss, but a few seconds later it became passionate and a little aggressive.

Her hands are wrapped around my neck and my hands started roaming around her body, from her waist to her shoulder, her curves.

The atmosphere became hot and tensed. I slowly made her lay on the bed and got on top of her.

To be continued.....