Page 45 of Upgraded Friendship

But before I can make a move, I see Melissa emerge from the venue, her tear-streaked face a heartbreaking sight. Without thinking, I make my way over to her, my footsteps echoing in the silence of the night.

“Melissa, wait,” I call out, my voice barely above a whisper as I reach her side.

She turns to face me, her eyes red-rimmed but filled with a quiet strength that takes me by surprise. “Josh,” she says, her voice barely a whisper as she struggles to compose herself.

I search her face for any sign of understanding, any hint that she knows what I’m going through, but all I see is a profound sadness that mirrors my own. “Melissa, I’m so sorry about everything. I know this must be incredibly hard for you,” I say, my voice filled with genuine remorse.

She shakes her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. “Do you even care, Josh? I mean, why? Oh because of Andrea?” she asks, her voice tinged with anger.

I open my mouth to respond, to try and explain myself, but the words catch in my throat. How can I explain the tangled mess of emotions swirling within me, the conflicting desires and regrets that threaten to consume me?

Melissa watches me, her gaze piercing in its intensity. “Were you even in a relationship with her?” she asks, her voice filled with disbelief.

I stand there, unable to answer, unable to meet her eyes as the weight of her question bears down on me. The truth is, I don’t know what we were, what we are—all I know is that I love her, with every fiber of my being.

But before I can muster a response, Melissa speaks again, her voice softening with understanding. “It doesn’t matter, Josh. Even if you weren’t in a relationship with her, I know you care for her. I see how you look at each other,” she says, her voice filled with sadness.

I reach out to touch her arm, to offer some semblance of comfort, but she pulls away, her eyes brimming with tears. “I have to go, Josh. I can’t be here anymore,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

I watch helplessly as she walks away, leaving me standing alone in the empty parking lot, grappling with the weight of her words and the uncertainty of my own heart.

Just standing there, a silent reminder of the life I thought I could have with Andrea. But now it’s nothing but a cruel joke, a symbol of all the hopes and dreams that have come crashing down around me.

The weight of Melissa’s words and the memory of Jeremy’s confession weigh heavily on my mind. My thoughts are consumed by the image of Andrea’s face, blank and silent as Jeremy poured his heart out to her.

And then, as if on cue, the memory comes rushing back to me, vivid and painful in its clarity. I close my eyes, trying to shut out the images that threaten to overwhelm me, but they persist, haunting me with their intensity.

“Andrea,” Jeremy’s voice echoes in my mind, filled with a desperation that cuts to the bone.

I can feel my heart clenching painfully in my chest as I replay his words, each syllable a dagger to my soul. “You need to know something.”

The memory of his confession plays out before me, a cruel reminder of everything I’ve tried so hard to ignore. “I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember. Ever since high school, I’ve had feelings for you, but I was too afraid to tell you.”

I clench my fists in frustration, the anger and bitterness threatening to consume me. “I’ve watched you from afar all these years, wishing I had said ‘yes’ when you asked me to be your Valentine. Now, seeing you with Josh and I wish it was me by your side. I’ve hated seeing you with him, knowing that I could never have what he has.”

But amidst the pain and anger, there’s a nagging doubt that refuses to be ignored.

What if Andrea does love him back?

The thought sends a wave of nausea washing over me, the fear of losing her too much to bear.

And then, as if on cue, the floodgates open, and I’m consumed by a tidal wave of emotions.

“How could she do this to me?” I whisper to myself, my voice choked with tears. “How could she stand there and listen to him, knowing how much it would hurt me?”

Well, I technically didn’t tell her about how I felt, she obviously doesn’t feel the same.

But amidst the anger and despair, there’s a small voice in the back of my mind, a voice that refuses to be silenced. “Maybe she didn’t have a choice,” it whispers, a faint glimmer of hope amidst the darkness.

I shake my head, trying to banish the thought, but it lingers, taunting me with its persistence. “No, she must have a reason. She must have a good reason,” I tell myself, clinging desperately to the belief that Andrea would never intentionally hurt me.

But even as I try to convince myself, doubts creep in, whispering words of insecurity and fear. “What if she doesn’t love me? What if she’s been lying to me this whole time?” the voice taunts, its words like poison in my ears.

I bury my head in my hands, the weight of it all threatening to crush me. “No, I won’t let myself believe that. I won’t let Jeremy win,” I vow, my inner voice filled with determination.

But even as I make the promise, I know that the battle is far from over.

Just as I’m about to lose myself in my thoughts, my phone buzzes with an incoming call from Tanya. With a sigh, I answer, hoping for a distraction from the turmoil in my mind.

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