———
The weeks dragged by like years.
Selena tried everything.
Texts. Long paragraphs. Short apologies. Even just sending simple "I miss you" messages when she couldn't find the words.
Nothing worked.
Dave didn't reply.
The only thing he ever sent were videos and pictures of Solani — little updates like he always had before they became something more. Short, emotionless interactions that left her phone feeling colder in her hand every time the screen lit up.
And after the first few days of no responses, she stopped texting altogether.
She didn't want to make it worse.
She didn't want to keep bothering someone who clearly needed space — even if that space was killing her inside.
It took Selena some time to really sit with her own guilt and pain. To stop pointing fingers at herself or at Dave or at anyone else.
Because the truth was, she had messed up.
But so had the people around her.
The whole situation wouldn't have even existed if she had set boundaries — not just with herself, but with her friends too.
She realized that maybe love wasn't just about not physically cheating or not crossing a line. It was about protecting what you had. About setting up fences before you got too close to a cliff.
It was about being wise even when you didn't think you needed to be.
That realization hurt. But it also felt freeing in a way.
She wasn't helpless.
She could change.
She would change.
One Friday afternoon, Selena invited Trinity to a quiet café off campus.
They sat down with their drinks, and Selena took a deep breath, feeling her palms get sweaty.
"Trin," she started softly, "we need to talk."
Trinity looked nervous immediately, setting her iced coffee down. "What's up, girl?"
Selena played with the hem of her sleeve. "I love you. You're my friend. But... we gotta set some boundaries between us."
Trinity's eyebrows furrowed. "Boundaries?"
"Yeah," Selena said. "That night at the bonfire... you knew I had a boyfriend. You shouldn't have dared me to do that stuff. Or tried to... set me up with Makai. You know? Even if I was drunk, you knew better. And I should've known better too."
Trinity's face crumpled a little with guilt. She looked down at her lap.
"I take accountability too," Selena said quickly. "I could've stopped myself. I should've. But it was like... everything happened so fast and I just wanted to fit in, and I forgot about the bigger picture. And now..." She swallowed hard. "Now I might've lost my family because of it."
Silence sat heavy between them for a minute.
Finally, Trinity spoke, her voice cracking. "Lena... I'm so sorry. I swear, I wasn't trying to ruin anything for you. I was just trying to make the night fun. I didn't even think..." She shook her head at herself. "But that's no excuse. I shouldn't have even put you in that position. I should've been protecting you too."
Selena's throat tightened, but she nodded.
"I forgive you," she said softly. "But going forward, we gotta be real friends. Like... if you see me doing something dumb, pull me aside. And if you're about to set me up with somebody when you know I'm taken, check yourself."
"I got you," Trinity whispered, her eyes wet. "For real this time."
They hugged, and for the first time in a long time, Selena felt something loosen in her chest.
——
Later that weekend, Selena also pulled Makai aside when she saw him around campus.
He looked nervous when she asked to talk, scratching the back of his neck.
"You mad at me?" he said, half-joking.
Selena smiled sadly. "Not mad. But we gotta talk too."
He nodded, standing still as she spoke.
"You're a good guy, Makai," she said honestly. "But you gotta stop flirting with me. Out of respect for my relationship — even if it's on pause right now."
Makai's smile faded. He looked genuinely ashamed.
"I wasn't trying to mess up your thing," he muttered. "I just thought... I don't know. You were cool. And pretty. And I guess I just—"
Selena held up a hand. "I get it. And I appreciate you being real. But something like that can't happen again. Not even close. I want to be friends because we were cool before all this. But if you can't just be a friend... then we can't be anything at all."
Makai nodded quickly. "Nah, nah. I get it. I can chill. I want to still be cool too. You're a good person, Lena. I'm sorry if I made anything worse."
They parted with a small fist bump — no lingering hugs, no flirty smiles.
Just respect.
Exactly how it should've been all along.
Walking back to her dorm afterward, Selena felt... lighter.
It was the first time she didn't feel chained down by guilt.
She was growing up.
Learning.
Becoming the woman she was supposed to be.
Not some sheltered little girl anymore, but someone who could look at herself in the mirror and say, "I'm trying my best. I'm getting better."
——
That night, she sat by her window, staring out at the stars.
She closed her eyes and whispered a prayer, her hands clasped over her heart.
"God... please watch over Dave. Please protect him. Protect Solani. Keep them safe. Keep their hearts soft even if I don't get another chance to be in their lives. Please..."
Tears slid silently down her cheeks.
"I just want them to be okay. Even if it's not with me."
She stayed sitting there long after the prayer ended, the silence feeling a little less suffocating now.
Maybe she couldn't fix everything right away.
Maybe she couldn't force Dave to forgive her.
But she could heal.
She could grow.
And if the day ever came when he looked her way again...
She'd be ready to be everything he deserved.