Chapter 144 - Yes, The Two Of You

Indiana decided to get it over with. 

"Oh, and about your offer to join you guys for tomorrow's walk, why not?" Indiana said.

Briar smiled, thankful Indiana was coming with, "Oh! Well, that's great!"

Madeline concurred.

Now that Indiana had gotten that out of the way… 

'It's better if I do it now than later, right?' She reasoned whilst she tried to come up with the words to tell Madeline and Briar.

Yes, she'd tell the two of them at the same time. That way, she wouldn't have to tell them one by one. 

That way, she didn't have to say the same things twice. Or see both Madeline and Briar's looks of disappointment a whopping two times. 

"I need to tell you something," she began by saying. 

Briar and Madeline exchanged a look. What did Indiana want to tell them? 

"Both of us?" They asked in unison. 

Indiana nodded, "Yes, the two of you." 

Briar gave Madeline a look. 

'Think this is about her feelings?'

Madeline shrugged, 'I guess we're going to find out.' 

Indiana then sat down, fidgeting with her hands. 

'What if this goes south? What if it goes wrong, and I get kicked out and become an outcast? No, they wouldn't do that. Would they?' 

Indiana breathed deeply.

'Stay calm,' she told herself repeatedly. Panicking would do her no good. It would only hinder her from actually telling them the truth. 

"So I've been meaning to tell you both this for a long while, but I never managed to because I was too nervous and I was scared of how you'd react to it," Indiana said, gulping. 

Madeline placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry about it, you can tell us anything."

That was it.

It was how Madeline had been so compassionate and kind about everything that had her nervous. 

Madeline had been nothing short of amazing and gracious, and this was what Indiana did to her in return. 

Indiana had said a great deal of times how she didn't deserve someone like Madeline in her life. It was why she wanted to shoo Jonathan away as well, he was the same case as Madeline. 

She felt like she was nothing but a burden to those she cared about most, and that was what kept her from spilling everything. 

"And what's this about?" Briar asked curiously. 

Indiana shifted her foot, "A guy." 

She didn't want a guy to come in between her friendship with Madeline. She never would.

If she was given the choice, she'd have erased any trace of feelings she held for Xavier. 

He was Madeline's mate, not hers. 

She would never be able to have him, as his heart had already belonged to someone else the entire time. It had taken a while to notice, but once it was out there, there was no denying it. 

"And who's this guy?" Madeline asked, tilting her head as she lifted her hand from Indiana's shoulder. 

She scooted closer towards Indiana, "It's not about Jonathan is it." 

Indiana confirmed Madeline's suspicion. 

"It's not about Jonathan. Although, I wish it was."

Taking a deep breath, Indiana wondered what was keeping her from telling Madeline and Briar. The truth was right there. She had the perfect opportunity to tell them, she couldn't just blow it because she felt nervous, or was too scared to say anything that could possibly jeopardize her friendship.

"I have feelings for this guy," Indiana blurted. 

'I have to do this. I have to continue on,' she told herself in her head. 

"Oh?" Madeline asked. 

Briar kept quiet, knowing it was better if she didn't speak till after Indiana was done. 

Indiana was determined to get through this without breaking into tears. The goal was simple. Tell Madeline and Briar the truth.

She inhaled sharply, "I have feelings for..." 

Indiana repeated, "For..." 

Looking up at the ceiling, she wondered, 'Why am I tearing up?'

Madeline and Briar kept quiet, wondering what to say to Indiana. 

Indiana shut her eyes, "Xavier." 

Madeline's quarters were dead quiet. No one spoke, no one moved, no one did anything. 

"I have feelings for Xavier," she said, her voice raspy and barely a whisper. 

"I'm sorry," she apologised to the two of them. 

"I never wanted to have feelings for him. And I never wanted to hurt you, Madeline. Really, if I could reverse my feelings–"

"No," Madeline interjected.

Shaking her head, she told Indiana, "Why are you apologising to me?" 

Taking a deep breath, she said to Indiana, "Listen, Dia. You don't have to apologise for having feelings for someone. There's no need for it, and I won't have you apologising for something you can't control." 

As a tear slid down Indiana's cheek, Madeline got Indiana a tissue. 

"Here," she said, handing Indiana a tissue paper. Continuing her spiel, she told her, "It's me who should apologise. If I ever made you feel like you couldn't tell me about your feelings towards someone, or like you had to hide it from me to preserve our friendship. I hope you know that I'm here for you."

Gesturing at Briar and herself, she added, "Both me and Briar are here for you. We always will. So don't hesitate to tell us anything so long as you want to or feel like it, okay?" 

Madeline tried looking away from Indiana, on the brink of tears herself. 

'Don't cry, what if it makes Indiana feel bad about herself?' Madeline told herself. 

Then, Briar took over. She began, "Madeline's right. We're your friends, so no matter what, we're here for you. We won't abandon you, we won't leave you behind." 

Indiana was touched by her friends' sincere words. 

Of course they'd have to tell her it was alright.

Wiping her tears away, she couldn't imagine what life would have been like had she not befriended Madeline and Briar. 

"Thank you," Indiana croaked, lowering her head. She was unable to meet both Madeline and Briar's worried gazes. 

"For everything. I never kept this from you because of something you did, or how you acted.

She liked Madeline's mate. 

In her previous friend group, she would've been punished severely, or tortured, even. Tortured till she made the decision to leave - if she wasn't kicked out at one point. 

Instead, nothing like that happened with her and Madeline. 

Madeline didn't seem a teensy bit upset. 

All Madeline did was make sure she was alright.