Finn's POV

The door closes behind Lily, her final words echoing in my mind like a haunting refrain.

My chest feels hollow, and the weight of my mistakes presses down on me like a leaden shroud. I stand there, numb, unable to move or think clearly.

"No, I can't do this," ... "I think we should take a break."

Her words replay in my mind, each one sharper than the last. I can't believe I've driven her away through my own cowardice and stupidity. I slide down the door, my head in my hands, feeling the tears welling up.

How did I let this happen? I was so afraid of losing her that I ended up doing exactly what I feared most. My mind races with regret and guilt. I know I have to make things right, but how? Her hurt and anger are justified, and I can't blame her for walking away.

"Goddammit, Finn," I mutter to myself, tears streaming down my face. "You really fucked up this time."

I pull out my phone, my fingers trembling as I open the messaging app. I hover over Lily's name, the screen blurred by my tears. I want to send her a message, to apologize again, to beg for another chance, but I know it won't be enough. Words alone won't fix this. I need to show her I'm serious about making things right.

Wiping my face, I take a deep breath and open my contacts, scrolling until I find Rachel's name. Anger and frustration boil inside me. She played a part in this mess, whether intentionally or not, and I need to set things straight with her.

I dial her number, and after a few rings, Rachel answers, her voice cheerful. "Hey, Finn! What's up? Don't tell me you need your cutlery back, I've barely started eating ..."

"Rachel," I interrupt my voice hardening. "We need to talk. Now."

There's a pause on the other end before she replies, her tone cautious. "Okay... what's going on?"

"Can you come over?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Yeah ... sure " she replies, her tone giving way to a bit of uncertainty.

"Good," I say, and hang up, not waiting for her to say anything else. I sit there, waiting, my thoughts a chaotic mess.

When Rachel arrives, I open the door and step aside, letting her in without a word. She looks at me, concern etched on her face. "Finn, what's wrong?"

"Looks like you and Lily were in a tense position earlier?" she says.

I take a deep breath, trying to keep my anger in check. "Lily broke up with me," I say flatly.

Rachel's eyes widen in shock.

"Don't tell me, she left you because I moved into the building?" She laughs lightly, waving her hand dismissively but there's a glimmer of happiness edged to it. "That's a bit dramatic."

"This isn't a joke, Rachel," I snap, my voice harsher than I intended. "She left because she thinks you have feelings for me, along with the photos on Instagram and your overall behaviour"

I rub my temples in frustration.

We've been friends for years, and this situation is spiralling out of control.

Instead of her to object, her expression softens like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders and she looks up at me with a mix of determination and vulnerability.

"Would it be so bad if I did?" she asks, her voice steady, ignoring the last part of what I said

I take a step back, startled by her boldness. "What are you saying, Rachel?"

She takes another step closer, her voice steady but soft. "I'm saying that maybe Lily's right. Maybe I do have feelings for you, Finn. And maybe I've had them for a long time."

As she closes the distance, her eyes remain locked on mine, and she leans in, her lips aiming for mine. Before I can react, her face is inches from mine.

"Rachel, stop!" I push her away, my hands firm against her shoulders. "What the hell are you doing? We are just friends. You know how I feel about Lily."

She stumbles back, her face twisting with anger and humiliation. "We were friends, Finn, but things changed."

"Rachel, don't," I say firmly. "I love Lily."

Tears fill her eyes, but she stands her ground. "And I love you, Finn," she says, her voice cracking as she locks eyes with me, leaving me shocked.

"Rachel ..." I start but she cuts me off.

"It's not something I can just turn off. I thought maybe, just maybe, you felt something for me too."

I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "I care about you. I always have. But not in the way you want."

She pulls her hand away, wiping at her tears angrily. "Do you know how hard it's been to watch you with her? To be so close to you and yet so far? I didn't ask for these feelings, Finn. They just... happened."

"I love Lily," I say firmly, my voice steady "That will not change."

Rachel's eyes harden with a mix of hurt and fury, her hands clenched beside her.

"If you cared so much about her, why didn't you just tell her about me moving in? When you knew it would cause problems. Why did you invite me to the cabin months ago? Was it just to use me to make her jealous"

She takes another step closer "Why did you lead me on, only to flaunt another girl in my face!" she yells.

I freeze, the memory of the cabin trip flooding back. I remember inviting Rachel, not just because she messaged earlier that day, saying she was feeling down but I had an incline then about her feelings and used it to make Lily jealous. Not my finest moments, and I'm not proud of it.

"Rachel," I begin, my voice wavering slightly, "I'm sorry about inviting you over to the cabin, I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have used you to make Lily jealous. It was selfish and cruel, and I'm truly sorry."

"So you used me?" Her eyes widen slightly, but she shakes it off, "That means you weren't even sure of her, there could be a chance" she says walking towards me.

I take a step back, shaking my head. "Rachel, there is no chance. I love Lily, and that's not going to change. What I did was wrong, but I can't give you what you want."

"I didn't mention you moving in because ..." I sigh "I thought if I told her, it would make things worse. I was wrong. I see that now. But you need to respect my boundaries, Rachel. I can't have you interfering in my relationship anymore, and if you can't respect that we can't be friends."

Her expression shifts, a mix of emotions playing across her face. I take a deep breath, trying to steady my voice.

"I need you to delete all the Instagram photos of us, right now," I say firmly.

Rachel's face hardens, and for a moment, I think she might refuse. But then she pulls out her phone and starts scrolling through her feed, deleting each photo one by one.

"We've been friends since we were eight, and you're willing to throw it away over some girl?" she asks looking up from her phone.

"She's not some girl," I snap back standing to my feet my voice trembling with intensity. " You've been my friend for so long, but your feelings for me are complicating everything. It's not fair to Lily, and it's not fair to you either," I explain, trying to make her understand.

Rachel takes a step closer , her face crumples with a mix of hurt and anger. "So, you're just going to throw away our friendship? You're choosing her over me?"

I run a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me. "Rachel, this isn't easy for me either. But I can't keep hurting Lily, and I can't keep pretending like everything is fine between us when it's not. You have feelings for me, and it's not fair to anyone if we keep this up."

She shakes her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "You're really doing this? You've been together what two months and known her like eight months but you're choosing her over our years of friendship?"

I take a deep breath, steadying myself. "Yes, Rachel, I am. Because it's not just about the time we've known each other; it's about the way I feel. My feelings for Lily are real and deep, and I can't ignore them. Our friendship means a lot to me, but it's changed, and we both know it."

Rachel's tears spill over, and she wipes them away. "It just feels like you're throwing everything away for someone you barely know."

"I'm not throwing it away," I say softly. "I'm trying to do the right thing. For you, for Lily, and for myself. We can't keep living in this limbo. It's not fair to anyone."

She stares at me, the tears spilling over her cheeks. "So that's it? You're just going to cut me out of your life because it's 'the right thing' ?"

"I don't want to cut you out," I say, my voice heavy with emotion. "But if you can't respect my relationship with Lily, then we can't continue like this. I have to do what's right by her, and by us."

She stands there for a moment, her face a storm of emotions. Finally, she lets out a bitter laugh. "Respect your relationship? Finn, do you even hear yourself? You're asking me to respect something that shattered our friendship."

I feel my patience snap, the frustration boiling over. "Yes, Rachel, I do hear myself!" I nearly shout. "And I'm tired of this endless cycle of guilt and blame. I'm trying to do the right thing here, for everyone involved. Can't you see that?"

Her eyes widen in shock, the bitterness in her expression deepening. "So now it's my fault for feeling this way? For wanting something more from you?"

"No, it's not your fault for having feelings," I retort, my voice rising. "But it's not fair to keep dragging this out, to keep hurting Lily because you can't let go. I'm with her, and that's not going to change. You need to accept that."

Rachel looks at me, her face a mixture of hurt and resignation. "Fine. If that's how you feel, good luck, Finn. I hope she's worth it."

"She is," I say firmly.

Rachel turns and walks out the door, the finality of her departure hitting me hard. I stand there for a moment, feeling the weight of what just happened.

I know this was the right thing to do. Now all I have to do, is try to get Lily to speak with me.