What The Night Holds

Friendship

After days being away from her beloved gallery, today Selene was back to work. She'd been there since early morning and it was nearing night now. She worked ten times harder to get back on track and she even managed to finish it all. She completely painted the walls and all that was left was decorating. Then, she'd design the front door sign and her gallery would be officially open.
Her dream was close to being fulfilled.

When she was finished, she took a moment to relax but that was short lived when there was a knock on the door.
She opened it to be met with West.
She exhaled and said a curt "No."
Before closing the door West put his hand out and stopped her.
"Please, just let me explain myself." Selene was a very emotional and empathetic person, she was already giving it her all in not forgiving him. He looked sad and broken and she couldn't say no again.
"Okay." She sighed and let him in.
There wasn't another chair inside so she sat down and looked up at him. His usual confidence was nowhere to be seen as he looked down with hsi hands behind his back.
"I-I'm sorry I called you a naive little bitch. You- I was just really scared that something might happen to you and I was mad at you for wanting to go so much so I kinda snapped. So, I'm sorry." He glanced at her then back down again.
"Do you really think I'm a naive little bitch? Be honest." Selene asked him.
"No! No, no, oh my god, no. I don't." He snapped his head her way and shook frantically with his hands.
Selene laughed. She laughed out loud and left him questioning her sanity.
"It's okay West. I forgive you. But don't you ever dare call me anything like that again." She pointed her finger his way. West sighed in relief.
"You really scared me Selene. I thought you'd never forgive me." He suddenly looked sad again.
"Aw, West. How can I live without you?" Selene side hugged him. She didn't mean what she said seriously but for West it was very serious. He really cared for her, more than she knew, but telling her would definitely mean an end to their friendship. But, he also thought that maybe the risk was worth it. Maybe Selene won't react negatively. Maybe she'd give the relationship a try. Although that was not likely.
"You can. I can't." West decided. Suddenly, the whole atmosphere around them changed from joking to serious. Selene dropped her arm from West as he turned to her.
"West? What...what do you mean?"
"I mean...I can't live without you Selene. And I can't live with you being just my friend." He finally confessed.
"I, uh, West....I-I..." Selene was dumbfounded. He put her on the spot and she didn't know what to say.
"I've had feelings for you for quite some time now and I couldn't keep it in anymore. By your reaction I get you don't feel the same. I knew this would happen but I beg of you to remain my friend. Can you?" West had to learn how to accept the truth. Even if it hurt him immensely.
"Yes. But West, you just told me...how do you want to be friends still?" Selene asked because she really felt like a jerk.
"Because...I told you. I can't live without you, so I should learn to move on and accept you as just my friend. Don't worry, I'm not mad at you." Now Selene knew she was a jerk.
"West, if you want to, we can spend some time apart? Or I can help you meet a new girl? Is there anything I can do?"
"The only thing I want you to do, you can't. So, it's best if you act like I didn't say this. That's what I want."
"Okay. I'm sorry...Can I hug you?" Selene timidly asked.
"Of course, silly." West pulled her into a warm hug. His feelings were still there, but the hug was the beginning of the end of the romantic feelings.
He had to learn to see, touch, talk to and hug her as a friend.