It had only been a few weeks since their first date, but Camille felt like she and Josh had been together for much longer. After everything that had happened—the trauma of the stalking, the kidnapping, the panic attacks—Josh had become her anchor, the one person she could rely on to make her feel safe. His presence had become her comfort, and she found herself wanting to be with him all the time.

At first, Josh didn’t seem to mind. They spent hours together every day—between classes, after school, on weekends. He would come over to her house, they’d watch movies, or just talk for hours about everything and nothing. He was always patient, always there with a reassuring smile, never making her feel like a burden.

But slowly, things started to shift. Camille noticed Josh getting a little quieter, distracted, like something was on his mind. She tried not to let it bother her, but every time he had to cancel plans or was too busy to meet up, she felt a knot tighten in her chest. What if he was pulling away? What if he didn’t want to be with her anymore?

The thought of losing him terrified her.

One evening, Camille sat on her bed, her phone in her hand, staring at the text message she had sent Josh earlier that afternoon. They had planned to meet up after school, but he had texted her saying something came up with his classes, and he couldn’t make it. He promised they’d hang out later, but as the hours ticked by, Camille found herself growing more anxious.

Unable to sit still any longer, she sent him another message:

Camille: Hey, are you still coming over?

She waited, staring at her phone, her heart pounding. After what felt like an eternity, his reply finally came:

Josh: Hey, sorry. I’m still caught up with stuff. Can we do it tomorrow?

Camille’s stomach dropped. It wasn’t the first time he had rescheduled in the past week. She bit her lip, her fingers hovering over her screen as she typed a response:

Camille: But I really wanted to see you tonight. Can’t you just come for a little bit? I miss you.

She hit send before she could second-guess herself, but the moment she did, a wave of uncertainty washed over her. Was she being too clingy? Was she pushing him too hard?

When Josh’s response came, it wasn’t what she had hoped for:

Josh: Camille, I miss you too, but we’ve been spending a lot of time together lately. I just need a bit of space tonight, okay?

Her heart sank. Space. That word felt like a punch to the gut. What did he mean by space? Was he trying to push her away? Camille's thoughts spiraled, her mind racing with fears she couldn't shake.

Without thinking, she called him. The phone rang a few times before Josh picked up, his voice sounding slightly tired. “Hey, Camille.”

“Hey,” she said softly, her voice trembling just a little. “I got your text, and I just… I don’t understand. Why do you need space?”

There was a pause on the other end, and then Josh sighed. “It’s not that I don’t want to see you. I love spending time with you, but… we’ve been hanging out a lot. I just need a little time to myself, you know?”

Camille’s chest tightened. “But I feel like… I don’t know, Josh, like you’re pulling away. Did I do something wrong?”

“No,” Josh said quickly, his voice gentle but firm. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Camille. It’s not about that. I just need to focus on other things too—school, my family, friends. It’s not that I don’t want to be with you. I do. But I need to make sure I have time for other parts of my life too.”

Camille felt tears welling up in her eyes, her throat tightening. “But I need you, Josh. After everything that happened, I just… I don’t know how to do this without you.”

There was a long silence on the other end, and when Josh finally spoke, his voice was soft but serious. “Camille, I get it. I know everything’s been tough, and I’m always going to be here for you, but you can’t rely on me for everything. I want to be your boyfriend, not your lifeline.”

His words hit her like a wave, and Camille felt a sharp pang of guilt. She hadn’t meant to put so much pressure on him, but deep down, she knew he was right. She had been holding on too tightly, afraid that if she let go even a little, everything would fall apart.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, wiping away the tears that had started to fall. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like that.”

“I know,” Josh said gently. “But you need to take care of yourself too. I’ll always be here, but you’ve got to let yourself stand on your own feet sometimes.”

Camille nodded, even though he couldn’t see her. She knew what he was saying made sense, but it didn’t make it any easier to hear. She had leaned on him so much these past few months, and the thought of not having him constantly by her side scared her. But maybe he was right. Maybe she needed to learn how to be okay on her own.

“I’ll try,” she said quietly. “I just… I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t,” Josh promised. “But this is important. For both of us.”

They said their goodbyes, and Camille hung up the phone, her heart heavy. She sat on her bed for a long time, thinking about what Josh had said. He wasn’t asking her to let him go—he was asking her to let herself breathe, to find strength in herself again. It was a hard realization, but deep down, she knew it was something she needed to do.

As the days went by, Camille made a conscious effort to give Josh more space. She spent more time with Maya and Riley, went to her therapy sessions, and focused on her modeling. It wasn’t easy—there were still moments when she wanted to text him every hour, to cling to him like a lifeline—but slowly, she began to find a new balance.