why I rejected one of my best friends whom I used to be in love with for years ago I was playing in a local soccer league one night after the game we decided to go out for a drink to celebrate as we were leaving the field a petite woman with short pixie style hair approached me she said she was a fan and wanted me to sign a shirt the other guys from my team surrounded us smiling with Envy in their eyes she was absolutely stunning her name was Gemma I signed a shirt and my best
friend Lincoln asked if she would like to join us all the guys agreed that she should come with us but she protested saying she would be the only woman so I told her my sister Anna would be there we told her where we were going and she said she would meet us there I texted Anna and asked her to join us at the bar begging her to do me this favor 30 minutes later we were at the bar when Gemma arrived and a few minutes later my sister showed up my sister liked her and we
all had a great time and enjoyed ourselves Jemma danced with half of the guys on the team and I had a few dances with her before the night ended she gave me number and said that hanging out with us have been fun Gemma occupied my thoughts over the following days but I was not alone in this dilemma almost all the guys in the league liked her and wanted to go out with her but no one made a move according to our friend's code since I had indicated first that I liked her and wanted to go
out with her the others could only fantasize about her Gemma and I became friends but she also became friends with Lincoln and my sister Anna the three of us spent a lot of time together but after a few months Gemma and I started spending more time alone a year later our friendship deepened and I still hadn't asked her out although I was fascinated by her I didn't ask her out because she didn't seem interested in me I didn't want to risk losing our friendship one night we were having dinner at my house I hadn't been
with any other woman since I met her because she was the one my heart longed for and I had never felt this way about any other woman I looked into her eyes and realized that I was in love with her I couldn't help it I told her that I liked her and wanted us to be in a relationship surprise reflected on her face but she quickly recovered she took my hands and hugged me Gemma told me that she liked me a lot but only as a friend and that she had never considered romantic thoughts about
us this was exactly what I feared losing our friendship my heartbroke but I assured her that we would remain friends and that nothing would change Gemma said she wasn't ready for a relationship and even if she were it wouldn't be with me she hugged me and before leaving she told me I was a wonderful person 3 months later I was in Lincoln's neighborhood and decided to visit him it had been a while since I heard from him and I wanted to know how he was I stopped at his doorstep and knocked on his door and
it took him 5 minutes to open it he was wearing a pair of shorts his torso was Bare and he smelled of sweat and sex I began to apologize for ruining his night and then a familiar voice came from his room asking who it was Lincoln took a deep breath and guilt was reflected in his eyes as he answered that it was me seconds later Jimma appeared wearing one of Lincoln's shirts and her hair was disheveled they told me they had been dating for 2 months and I congratulated them I forced myself to suppress my
feelings for Gemma because she was my friend and was dating my best friend I was happy for her and we remained friends and continued to spend time together seeing them so affectionate with each other in front of me didn't make me feel anything I stopped playing in the local League because I was promoted to financial director at my company and my schedule became busier I could no longer regularly hang out with with Gemma and Lincoln because I didn't have time to socialize as I used to my sister Anna's boyfriend proposed to her and she began
planning their wedding she asked Gemma to be one of her bridesmaids which rekindled their friendship Anna loved throwing parties and at every one of them Gemma and Lincoln were there we still joked and texted each other often and on the days I could Escape work I attended a party with them every time I saw a Gemma she looked more beautiful and happy she gave me a big hug generally bigger than the one she had given me at the previous event she asked about my work and I did the same and she told me about her
relationship with Lincoln a few months after the last time we met lincol and I were at a local pub when a woman walked in and kissed him I was surprised and couldn't hide my anger when he introduced the woman as his girlfriend I left afterward and called Gemma to find out what was going on between her and Lincoln and she told me they had broken up when I told my sister she wasn't surprised weeks after Lincoln's betrayal Jemma decided to forgive him and went back to him when I found out I was Furious how could
she go back to someone who had betrayed her feeling the need to open her eyes I went to her house determined to make her see the truth Gemma he's going to betray you again can't you see I've always been by your side I've always been in love with you I confessed hoping she would finally understand but to my disappointment Gemma just sighed and looked at me with resigned sadness I trust him and we understand each other he promised to change and I want to believe that it crushed me but I wasn't comfortable with the situation
I don't know if it was because I still loved her but I wasn't okay I decided to gather evidence of Lincoln's betrayals following him and taking photos of his meetings with other women and it happened faster than I expected when I had what I needed I showed everything to Gemma hoping she would finally see the truth she cried apologized for not believing me and broke up with Lincoln at that point I had already distanced myself from him and didn't want him as a friend anymore and he felt the same in the following months Gemma and
I grew closer and with a clearer mind she asked me why I insisted on showing her that so I confessed everything the moments I thought about her and loved her but didn't approach her out of fear my fear was much smaller than the desire to see her happy so I wanted to show her the truth to prove she deserved someone much better after many outings conversations and even some kisses I didn't want to lose that chance and asked her to be my girlfriend I admit I was super nervous and ready for no but surprisingly she
accepted until then I thought I would be the happiest person in the world at first everything was perfect and I thought it would last forever at least on my part however things began to change gradually Gemma started to distance herself her phone calls and messages became shorter and colder something wasn't right and I kept wondering what I might have done wrong I tried talking to her and she said everything was fine and that she needed to work late that night I honestly suspected but I didn't dwell on it I decided to go out and have
a meal alone since she wasn't coming home for dinner I went to our favorite restaurant eight and asked for a takeaway meal for her to have when she got home from work but as I was leaving the restaurant I saw her and Lincoln entering we stood there staring at each other I handed her the food and left feeling indignant she followed me and this time I decided to pack my things and leave I told her that I had made the biggest mistake of my life which was trusting her after a while Jimma showed up at
my house desperate I'm pregnant she said panic in her eyes the baby might be Lincoln's but I need your help the baby needs a father and that father has to be you my mind spun with the Revelation she had betrayed me used my trust and probably only stayed with me because she was already pregnant and needed someone to step in and now she was asking for my help I looked at her feeling a mix of pain and anger Gemma I truly loved you but I can't live like this being the backup plan the reserve for
when things don't work out with Lincoln she started crying apologizing saying she wanted us to be together and that Lincoln was a mistake from the past but for me it was too late I knew that if I stayed I would always be in Lincoln's Shadow always questioning her loyalty I'm going to go my own way Gemma I said firmly you made your choices and now I need to make mine I can't be the father of another man's child and I can't live with someone who doesn't know what they want I closed the door behind me
determined to leave that chapter behind the love I felt for Gemma turned into pain and eventually indifference I deserve more than being the second option and I was ready to move on even if it meant being alone do you think I did the right thing
