- 7 -

                                    

                                          
The silence lingered in the air, thick and charged, as I stared into Elizabeth's wide eyes. The kiss had felt electrifying, a spark igniting a fire that had been simmering beneath the surface for so long. Yet, now that the moment had passed, a wave of uncertainty washed over me.
"What just happened?" Elizabeth finally whispered, her voice shaky.
"I... I don't know," I replied, running a hand through my hair, trying to make sense of it all. "Did we just...?"
"Yeah," she cut in, her cheeks flushed. "I think we did."
The reality of what had just happened sank in, and I felt a mix of exhilaration and panic. My heart raced, and the silence between us felt deafening. I needed to say something, but my mind was a whirlpool of emotions.
"I didn't mean to pull you like that," she said, biting her lip. "I just got so frustrated, and then..."
"I know," I said quickly, my heart pounding in my chest. "I was frustrated too. But, Lizzie, we've been through so much together. I didn't expect..." I trailed off, unsure how to express what I felt.
"Neither did I," she admitted, her eyes darting away as if she were searching for the right words. "But you're right. We've drifted apart lately. I didn't even realize how much until now."
I felt a pang in my chest at her admission. "I thought maybe you didn't want me around anymore. With Jacob and your new friends and I... I thought you were ashamed of me" 
She shook her head vehemently. "That's not true! I just got... caught up in things. I didn't mean to ignore you. I've been trying to balance everything, and I guess I just lost sight of what's important."
I nodded, understanding her struggle. "I get it. But I felt like you didn't care about us. About our friendship."
"I do care!" she exclaimed, her voice rising slightly. "I just... I thought you'd be okay with me hanging out with new people. I thought you'd understand."
"I do understand Lizzie. I just..." I echoed, feeling the frustration rise again. "I didn't know what to think! You didn't even check in on me! You just left one day and we didn't speak anymore" 
"I'm sorry!" she said, her voice softening. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I've just been... confused. About everything."
"About Jacob?" I asked, a hint of jealousy creeping into my voice despite my efforts to keep it in check.
She nodded, looking down at her feet. "I like him, but... I don't like him like him, even tho everyone tells me that I'm lucky and that he's amazing and all... it's different... I know I'm supposed to like him, but I don't..." 
She sat on my bed. " whenever I was with him... I wished I was with you, but I just... I don't feel like that around him" 
Elizabeth took a deep breath "I don't want to do or think... I can't stop thinking about you, and yesterday when the twins were talking about you... I just felt so horrible because it felt like they knew you better than I did. Like... they stole you from me"
" They didn't steal me away, they just kept me company and made sure I was okay, they are helping a lot with my future and they are making sure I meet the right people from the start"  
Elizabeth nodded and reached out for my hand, I sat next to her on my bed and she rested her head on my shoulder. 
"I want us to be okay, I want to figure this out together. I don't want to push you away. I miss you. I miss my best friend" 
The warmth of her hand in mine sent a shiver down my spine, and I realized how much I missed her too. "I miss you too, Lizzie. But I don't know how to navigate this... new dynamic between us."
"Maybe we can take it slow?" she suggested, her eyes searching mine for understanding. "Just see where things go. We can still be best friends and figure out what this means for us... I have to figure out how I feel about Jacob and you have to focus on the photographer thing but I still want us to try and see what happens here... you know between us" 
"Okay," I agreed, a smile creeping onto my face. "I'd like that. I just don't want to feel like I'm losing you again" 
"I promise  you won't," she said, relief washing over her features. "I'll make more time for us. I'll try to be better. Just please don't shut me out... and I want to hear all about New York and everything that's been going on with you and the twins" 
" I'll try to be more understanding too, and I will reach out more and not expect you to know when things are wrong, We can do this together, we've known each other since forever, we can figure this out" 
We stood there for a moment, hands intertwined, the tension of the previous weeks dissipating into the air. It felt like a new beginning, a chance to redefine our friendship and grow closer again.
"Now," Elizabeth said, breaking the moment with her trademark smile, "about New York. You have to tell me everything. I want to hear about all the exciting stuff you'll get to do with the twins!"
I laughed, the weight on my shoulders lifting. "Well, they're planning a photoshoot for their new movie, and they said I could tag along. I can't believe I'm actually going to be on set! They also made dinner plans with Mario Testino!"
"Y/N, that's amazing!" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "You're going to be so good at it!"
"Thanks, Lizzie. I hope I don't embarrass myself," I replied, biting my lip nervously.
"Trust me, you won't. The twins are lucky to have you. I'm lucky to have you," she said, squeezing my hand again.
As I looked at her, I felt the butterflies return, fluttering wildly in my stomach.
We heard a knock on the door and we snapped out of our little world, I looked up and I saw my mother standing there with a smile on her face. 
" I'm sorry to interrupt girls, but I'm making dinner... Are You staying for dinner Beth?" 
Lizzie and I shared a look before she nodded " Yeah, I would love to stay for dinner"