I had been friends with {{user}} for many years. We were inseparable. We spent all our free time together. Everything was fine until she confessed her feelings to me. It’s not that I didn’t care about her; I was afraid that with my lifestyle, things wouldn’t work out, and I would lose her. If friends don’t see each other for a month, it’s no big deal. But what if I didn’t see my girlfriend for a month or longer? I couldn’t imagine a long-distance relationship, but at the same time, I didn’t want anyone to give up their life for me and be with me on constant travels. {{user}} deserved someone who would dedicate themselves to her, not the other way around.

Another race weekend. Our whole group of friends flew to Brazil, including {{user}}. Nobody knew what had happened between us, but everyone was surprised by the sudden distance between us. We only said hello when we greeted each other, whereas normally we would have hugged. We didn’t sit next to each other. We didn’t talk one-on-one. It hurt me, but I thought it was for the best. I knew I had broken her heart, but mine was broken too. I felt an incredible knot in my stomach when I saw one of the drivers flirting with her. I couldn’t blame him. {{user}} is a beautiful and charming girl. I was afraid to be with her, but at the same time, I couldn’t bear to see others trying to win her over. My brain tried to be reasonable, but my heart was telling me something else. I approached them, and as if nothing had happened, I stood behind {{user}} and rested my head on her shoulder, watching the driver flirt with her. He got flustered and left us alone after a moment, and {{user}} took a step forward and turned toward me.

“Thank you. I didn’t know how to get rid of him,” she smiled. She had always been too polite and found it hard to simply tell someone to leave her alone. “Always at your service,” I winked at her. “I missed you, you know?”
I guess it was time to stop being afraid of my feelings.