The library was a sanctuary, a place where the weight of the world seemed to lift slightly. I found myself drawn back to its familiar quiet, seeking refuge from the storm raging inside me.
Jess was there, sitting at a table by the window, a book open before her, but her gaze lost in the distance. I joined her, pulling up a chair across from her.
"You okay?" she asked, her voice soft, a gentle query that seemed to understand the turmoil within me.
I shrugged, unable to articulate the jumble of emotions swirling inside. "I don't know what to do," I admitted, my voice barely a whisper. "I feel like I'm losing him."
"Losing who?" she asked, her brow furrowed with concern.
"Kyle," I said, my voice heavy with despair. "He's been so distant lately, and I don't know how to reach him."
Jess nodded, her eyes filled with empathy. "I know it's hard," she said, her voice soft. "He's been through a lot. Losing Emily... it's changed him."
"I know," I said, my heart heavy with grief. "But I feel like I'm losing him anyway. He's pushing me away."
"Maybe he's just scared," Jess said, her voice filled with understanding. "Scared of getting hurt again."
"But I don't want to hurt him," I said, my voice filled with desperation. "I just want to be there for him, to support him, to love him."
Jess reached across the table and placed her hand on mine, her touch a comforting balm to my troubled soul. "You're a good friend, Chase," she said, her voice filled with sincerity. "He's lucky to have you."
"But I don't know if he sees it that way," I said, my voice filled with doubt. "I feel like I'm constantly walking on eggshells, afraid of saying the wrong thing, afraid of pushing him away."
Jess smiled, a sad, wistful smile that spoke volumes about her own experience with loss. "He's hurting," she said, her voice soft. "He needs time to heal."
"But how long do I wait?" I asked, my voice filled with frustration. "How long do I keep pushing away my own feelings, my own needs, for fear of making things worse?"
Jess sighed, her gaze lost in the distance. "I don't have the answers, Chase," she said, her voice filled with honesty. "But I know that love is worth fighting for."
Her words were a lifeline, a flicker of hope in the darkness. I knew she was right. Love was worth fighting for. But how could I fight for something that seemed to be slipping away?
To be continued...