As Emily and Michael's relationship blossomed, the dynamic among the group began to shift. Grace had been distant since the date, and Emily couldn't help but feel guilty for hurting her friend.
One afternoon, as Emily and Grace sat in the library studying, Grace finally spoke up.
"Em, can we talk?" she said, her voice tight.
Emily looked up from her book, sensing the tension in the air. "Of course, Grace. What's on your mind?"
Grace took a deep breath before speaking. "I just want to know why you didn't tell me about you and Michael. You know how I feel about him, and I thought we were supposed to be best friends."
Emily felt a pang of guilt in her chest. She knew that she should have talked to Grace about her feelings for Michael, but she couldn't deny that a part of her was scared of how her friend would react.
"I'm sorry, Grace," Emily said, her voice soft. "I should have told you about Michael and me. But I was scared of how you would react, and I didn't want to hurt you."
Grace looked down at her lap, her expression unreadable. "I just feel like you picked Michael over me. You knew how much I cared about him, and yet you went behind my back and started dating him."
Emily shook her head, feeling a sense of frustration building within her. "That's not fair, Grace. I didn't 'pick' Michael over you. I didn't even know he had feelings for me until he asked me out on the date."
Grace looked up at her, her eyes blazing. "But you still went out with him, knowing how I felt. And now everything has changed between us."
Emily sighed, feeling a sense of sadness wash over her. She knew that Grace had a right to be upset, but she couldn't deny that a part of her was angry that her friend was making her feel guilty for something that wasn't entirely her fault.
"Grace, I understand that you're upset," Emily said, her voice calm. "But I can't change how I feel about Michael. He's important to me, and I hope you can respect that."
Grace looked at her, her expression softening slightly. "I'm sorry, Em. I just feel like I'm losing my best friend. I don't know how to deal with these feelings."
Emily reached out and took Grace's hand. "You're not losing me, Grace. I still care about you, and I always will. But I can't change how I feel about Michael, and I hope you can accept that."
Grace nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "I'll try, Em. I just need some time to process everything."
As the two girls packed up their books and headed out of the library, Emily couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. She knew that her friendship with Grace had been strained, but she hoped that they could work through their issues and come out stronger on the other side.