𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐎𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬 | 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐢𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭

Friends. (Part Two)

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Gilbert's POV

The awkward silence in the jeep was deafening, and that's saying something, considering how loud and busy the street was, since most kids were going back to school today.

Diana has tried to get all three of us to talk, but Anne refuses to say more than one sentence to me. Maybe I shouldn't have been so straightforward...

But I can't take it back. I spoke before I thought of the consequences of my words. It was me who broke up with Anne, therefore I had no right to bring up her feelings for me, if she even had any left.

Diana had a fair point about our relationship, though. When Anne and I got together, we were stuck in the "honeymoon phase" and so we were used to being only happy around each other. We've only gone on two dates at the time and we were already acting like we've dated for years. And after a while, I realized that wasn't what I wanted. I wanted someone who could be my best friend and not act like my girlfriend all the time. I wanted to talk to someone about my dreams and everything. But couldn't I have had that with Anne?

I had nothing against Anne, and our breakup was only partially her fault. It was mostly mine for not knowing what I truly wanted, until I lost it. Pathetic, I know, but it's the way I finally realized that Anne was the one who was there in both my brightest and darkest days, though I continuously pushed her away.

I'll be the first to admit, that apart from not knowing what I wanted, I was scared. I was scared of falling too deep for someone that way. Anne has constantly reassured me that she'd never leave me, but that didn't stop the doubts of what she'd think of me if she'd stay with me long enough.

She's too good to be true. I don't think I deserve her, especially not after I broke her heart.

"Thanks for the ride, Gil." I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Diana's voice. I hadn't even realized that Anne's spot was now empty. She must've left while I was lost in my thoughts.

"Oh, yeah. You're welcome. If you ever need a ride, just give me a call." I smiled, trying to hide the fact that I was just thinking of her best friend.

"Right...you know everyone can tell you two still have a thing going, right?" I widened my eyes. Were we that obvious?

"What?"

"Oh, come on. I wasn't born yesterday," she chuckled, "Looking at each other when you think no one's looking, calming each other down just by being in the same room together, how your expressions soften at the sight of each other...." She trailed off and her expression changed into a sadder one.

"Why'd you have to break up with her like that if you didn't actually fall out of love?"

"I was scared, Diana. Things were just going so fast. We said our I love you's just three weeks into the relationship, and it was just so overwhelming to see how serious she was about me. She knew exactly what she wanted and I didn't." I admitted, feeling slightly better that I got to tell all of this to someone. Even my own best friends didn't know I felt this way.

"And you couldn't have just told her that you needed a break? That you just wanted to take things slow? It was unfair of you to just break things off abruptly." Frowning, she still reached a hand out reassuringly and placed it on my shoulder.

"You need to talk. I know the both of you have been trying to act casual around each other, but you're really not fooling anybody. Except maybe yourselves." I laughed at the last part, but reality dawned on me as my brain processed what she just said.