Distance And Doubt
977 Words
Episode 8
The days after their conversation felt… different.
Not completely broken.
Not completely normal.
Just different.
Grace tried to focus on her studies, telling herself she needed space to think. But no matter how hard she tried, her mind kept drifting back to John.
And what he had said.
“I feel something real with you.”
Those words stayed with her—but so did the doubt.
⸻
At the basketball court, John stood with the ball in his hands, staring at the hoop.
He hadn’t seen Grace in two days.
Two days.
It wasn’t long, but it felt longer than it should.
“Are you going to shoot or just stand there?” his teammate called out.
John blinked, snapping out of his thoughts.
“Yeah… sorry,” he said, taking the shot.
Miss.
His friend laughed. “Man, you’re definitely distracted.”
John sighed. “Yeah… I guess I am.”
⸻
Meanwhile, Grace sat in the library, her books open in front of her.
But once again, she wasn’t reading.
Anita sat across from her, watching carefully.
“You haven’t turned that page in ten minutes,” Anita said.
Grace sighed. “I know.”
“Is this about John?”
Grace nodded slowly.
Anita leaned forward. “What happened?”
Grace explained everything—the conversation, Sarah, her doubts.
When she finished, Anita was quiet for a moment.
“Grace,” she said finally, “do you trust him?”
Grace hesitated.
“I want to,” she said.
“That’s not the same thing,” Anita replied.
Grace looked down.
“I’m scared,” she admitted.
“I know,” Anita said gently. “But pushing him away won’t help.”
Grace frowned slightly. “I’m not pushing him away.”
Anita raised an eyebrow. “You haven’t seen him in two days.”
Grace didn’t respond.
Because she knew it was true.
⸻
That evening, Grace walked slowly across campus.
She didn’t have a plan.
She just needed fresh air.
As she passed by the basketball court, she stopped.
John was there.
Practicing.
Alone.
She watched him for a moment.
He looked focused—but there was something else too.
Something heavier.
⸻
Before she could change her mind, she took a step forward.
Then another.
Until—
“Grace?”
John had noticed her.
She froze.
For a second, neither of them moved.
Then he walked toward her.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hi,” she replied softly.
There was a pause.
An awkward one this time.
⸻
“I haven’t seen you in a while,” John said.
Grace nodded. “I’ve been busy.”
John looked at her carefully.
“Just busy?” he asked.
Grace hesitated.
“I needed time,” she admitted.
John nodded slowly.
“Okay,” he said.
⸻
They stood there in silence.
The distance between them felt larger than it actually was.
⸻
“I don’t like this,” John said suddenly.
Grace looked up. “What?”
“This distance,” he explained. “It doesn’t feel right.”
Grace swallowed.
“It’s not easy for me either,” she said.
“Then why are we doing it?” he asked.
She didn’t have an answer.
⸻
“I told you the truth,” John continued.
“I know,” Grace said.
“Then why does it feel like you don’t believe me?”
His voice wasn’t angry—just hurt.
⸻
Grace took a deep breath.
“It’s not that I don’t believe you,” she said.
“Then what is it?”
“I don’t trust the situation,” she admitted.
John frowned. “What does that mean?”
“It means…” she paused, searching for the right words.
“It means I’m afraid something might change.”
⸻
John ran a hand through his hair.
“Grace, anything can change,” he said.
“That’s exactly the problem,” she replied.
⸻
There was a moment of silence.
Then John stepped closer.
“But I’m choosing you right now,” he said.
Grace looked at him.
“Doesn’t that matter?”
Her heart softened.
“It does,” she said quietly.
⸻
“Then don’t push me away,” he added.
“I’m not trying to,” she said.
“But you are,” he replied.
⸻
His words hit her harder than she expected.
Because deep down…
She knew he was right.
⸻
Grace looked away.
“I don’t know how to do this,” she admitted.
John’s expression softened.
“Neither do I,” he said.
She looked back at him, surprised.
⸻
“But I’m willing to figure it out,” he continued.
“With you.”
⸻
The tension between them shifted slightly.
Not gone—but lighter.
⸻
Grace took a small step forward.
“I don’t want to lose this,” she said softly.
John shook his head. “You won’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I won’t let it happen,” he said.
⸻
For a moment, everything felt still again.
Like it used to.
⸻
“Can we try again?” Grace asked.
John smiled slightly.
“We never stopped,” he said.
⸻
Grace felt a small wave of relief.
Maybe things weren’t broken after all.
Maybe they were just… learning.
⸻
“Walk with me?” John asked.
Grace nodded.
This time, when they walked side by side—
The distance between them felt smaller.
Not gone completely…
But no longer impossible to cross.
⸻
That night, Grace lay in bed, thinking.
But this time, her thoughts were calmer.
She realized something important.
Trust wasn’t instant.
It was built.
Step by step.
Moment by moment.
⸻
And maybe…
Just maybe…
She was ready to take the next step.
- Writer
