Second chances

8

Katie hadn't meant to scroll through her feed that night. She'd just finished training and was winding down, mindlessly flipping through photos and updates from friends, until she saw your post. Her thumb froze over the image—a simple selfie, you and another woman, standing close, each holding a cone of ice cream. You wore a soft smile, and though there was nothing overly intimate about the picture, it felt like a punch to the gut.

Katie stared at it, heart sinking as questions rushed in. Who was this woman? How long had you known her? And why did seeing you so comfortable with someone else hurt so much? She forced herself to close the app, trying to convince herself that it didn't matter, that she had no right to be upset. But sleep didn't come easily that night, and she woke up the next morning feeling as if she'd barely slept at all.

That afternoon, when she saw your name pop up on her screen, her heart skipped. You hadn't mentioned anything about your date, and maybe that was fine, but her chest felt tight as she typed a reply.

You: Morning! How was training?

Katie: Mornin', darlin'. Was grand, I guess. You enjoy yer night, then?

You stared at her message, immediately catching the slight edge in her tone. She was hardly ever anything but warm with you, even when she was teasing, so something about her message felt... off.

You: Yeah, it was nice, actually. Why do you ask?

Katie took a shaky breath, trying to keep her tone casual but knowing she was failing miserably.

Katie: Just curious. Saw yer post, is all. Looked like ya were havin' a good time.

You: Are you upset about that? I mean... I didn't think it was a big deal.

Katie clenched her jaw, fingers hovering over her screen before she typed back.

Katie: Not upset, really. Just... surprised, I guess. Didn't expect ya t' be datin'.

You: Katie, I thought we were friends now. I asked if you were okay with it, and you said yes.

There was a long pause before Katie responded, and with every second that ticked by, you felt a pang of defensiveness bubbling up.

Katie: Friends, aye... I know that. Jus' caught me off guard, y'know? Guess I wasn't ready t' see ya with someone else. Maybe that's on me.

You hesitated, feeling a mix of frustration and guilt. It wasn't as though you'd kept this from her on purpose. But a part of you had hoped she wouldn't make a big deal out of it.

You: Look, Katie, this isn't fair. You said you were okay with us being friends. That was the agreement.

Katie: I am okay with it. Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt a bit, y'know?

Her words hung in the air, and you could almost hear the strain in her voice through the screen. You wanted to tell her that you didn't owe her explanations, that this was exactly why you'd kept your distance to begin with. But something held you back, a flicker of empathy that reminded you that Katie had been trying—really trying—to be the friend you'd asked her to be.

But still, you felt frustrated. Defensive. Like she was asking something from you that you couldn't give.

You: Katie, this is just... a lot right now. I can't do this if it's going to keep being complicated.

Katie: I get it. Don't worry about it, darlin'. I'll be fine.

There was a pause, and then another message appeared.

Katie: Just... miss ya, is all. But ya do what makes ya happy.

You exhaled sharply, feeling both sorry for her and frustrated with the situation. You didn't know how to respond to that—how to give her anything more than you already had. So instead, you left her on read, setting your phone aside as you tried to shake off the conversation.

But even as the day wore on, her words lingered. You couldn't ignore the heaviness of her disappointment, or the way it tugged at something in you, leaving you unsettled and more confused than ever.