We Didn’t Plan It, It Just Happened!

We never meant for it to happen it simply unfolded on its own.
Max, guess what? Weve got a new girl in the department! Evelyn. Shes brilliant!

Eleanor Clarke set a plate of soft scrambled eggs on the table and sat opposite the man. Sunlight slipped through the sheer curtains, turning the room a warm honeygold. She propped her chin with a hand and gave a small smile.

Maxwell Hughes glanced up from his phone.

Brilliant? Whats got you so taken? he asked.

Everything! Eleanors eyes lit up. We chatted yesterday and discovered we share a ton. Shes into rock climbing, goes to the same gym I used to frequent, reads the same battered paperbacks. Its as if they copied my whole routine and dropped her into the office.

Maxwell laughed, reaching for his coffee.

Thats great. Youve needed a mate at work for ages.

Exactly! Eleanor lifted her fork but didnt eat. She loves hiking too. Weve already pencilled in a trip for next month. She tells everything honestly, without any of that pretence.

Maxwell nodded, tearing a piece of toast.

Sounds ace. Can you introduce us?

Sure! How about a dinner this weekend? Ill whip up something tasty and we can all chat.

Why not, Max said, easy as a breeze.

Eleanor smiled, turned back to her omelette, and felt a quiet thrill. She had a job she loved, a partner of three years, and now a friend who seemed to fit like a missing puzzle piece. Life felt almost perfect.

Two weeks later Eleanor hosted the dinner. She polished her flat until the walls reflected their own smiles, then cooked Maxs favourite rosemaryroasted chicken. Evelyn arrived with a bouquet of tulips and a slice of Victoria sponge.

Eleanor, this place is so cosy! Evelyn exclaimed, looking around as if the walls might swallow her whole.

Eleanor laughed, taking the flowers.

Max, this is Evelyn. Evelyn, this is Max.

Maxwell extended his hand, his grin widening.

Delighted. Eleanors spoken of you so much I feel Ive known you for a century.

Likewise, Evelyn replied, shaking his hand. She tells me youre the most patient man alive.

Max winked at Eleanor. You need patience when youre with someone as lively as you.

The evening unfolded like a warm tapestry. Max and Evelyn discovered a shared love of vintage cinema and seventies rock, trading favourite titles and arguing over who was the better lead. Eleanor sat between them, her smile never leaving her face, watching her two favourite people become friends. What could be better?

After that night the three of them met often movies, art shows, weekend walks in the countryside. Max began to suggest invites to Evelyn, claiming there was never a dull moment with her. Eleanor simply basked in the glow.

But gradually she began to notice odd shifts. Max stayed later at the office more often, a habit hed never had before. He sent fewer midday texts, his calls grew sparse. When Eleanor tried to talk about future plans buying a house, a wedding his replies were curt, as if the topics were weighty stones he wished to avoid.

Evelyn changed too. Sometimes Eleanor caught her watching her, eyes sharp and assessing, as if Evelyn wanted to say something but held her tongue, then smiled and steered the conversation elsewhere.

One evening Eleanor was in the lounge while Max cooked in the kitchen. His phone lay on the table beside her. The screen lit up. She glanced automatically. A message from Evelyn, timestamp close to midnight: Thanks for today.

Eleanors heart tightened. She set the phone down, stared at the wall. What did it mean? Had they met earlier that day? Max had said hed been held up at work. She pushed the thought away, convincing herself it was nothing more than a coincidence, that they were just good friends and she was being paranoid. Yet the unease lingered.

In March the three of them drove to a chalet in the Lake District, a trip theyd planned for months. Eleanor dreamed of forest walks, evenings by a fire, the scent of pine. Evelyn was eager from the start, and Max supported every plan. They booked a small cottage on the lakes edge, packed tents and climbing gear.

From the first day the atmosphere felt off. Eleanor watched Max and Evelyn exchange glances, silence falling the moment she entered the room. The next day they lingered together by the water while she rested after a climb, Max claiming he was simply showing Evelyn the old chapel the local ranger had mentioned. Eleanor nodded, but something tightened inside her.

On the final night they sat around the fire, faces drawn, guilty. Max avoided her eyes; Evelyn did the same. Eleanor tried to coax words from them, but they only offered short, hollow replies.

That night sleep slipped away; she felt something inside fracture beyond repair.

A week after returning, Max sent a message: Eleanor, we need to talk. Meet me at the café?

Eleanor stared at her computer screen at work, a knot of foreboding tightening.

At five she arrived at the café. Max was already at a window table, Evelyn beside him.

She paused at the doorway, a fleeting impulse to turn and leave, but her feet carried her to the table. She slid into the chair, coat still on.

Whats happening? she asked, eyes flicking between them, both wearing apologetic expressions.

Max stared at a napkin, tearing it into tiny pieces, before finally looking up.

Eleanor, I dont know how to say this. We didnt plan it. It just happened.

Eleanor clenched her fists under the table.

In the Lake District we finally realised we fell for each other, Max whispered. We tried to fight it. We really tried. But we cant hide it any longer.

Evelyns tears ran down her cheeks, smearing her mascara.

Eleanor, Im sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. Youre my best friend, but this this is stronger than us.

Evelyn reached out.

Eleanor pulled her hand back, a storm of rage, hurt, and betrayal roiling in her throat.

Stronger than us? she asked, voice shaking. You were behind my back while I was building a life, dreaming of a wedding, children, a home? How could you both live a double life? What did I do to deserve this?

Eleanor, we didnt intend Max began.

Didnt intend? she shouted, the café growing quiet as a few patrons turned. You were meeting in secret, texting at night! This is betrayal, Max. The worst thing you could do to me.

I know, Max said, eyes fixed on the table. I know I was selfish. I cant keep lying. I cant pretend everythings fine.

And you? Eleanor turned to Evelyn. You said I was your best friend. How could you?

Evelyn sobbed, covering her face. Im sorry. I never imagined it would turn out like this. We just talked, spent time together, and then it turned into something more.

Eleanor rose, the chair screeching back. She snatched her bag, gave them one last, weary look.

I dont want to see either of you again. Never.

She walked out into the cold night, tears streaming, not wiping them away, heading straight to the underground.

The next day Eleanor submitted a transfer request to the Manchester branch. Her manager was surprised but didnt pry; her work was valued and the transfer was approved swiftly.

Evelyn tried to call, but Eleanor blocked the number. Max sent a few messages; she deleted them unopened. He collected his things while she was out, leaving her apartment empty. She stood in the quiet living room, staring at the spot where his shoes had sat.

Two weeks later Eleanor was in Manchester, unpacking in a new flat. Her parents disapproved, but she was determined to start afresh, away from memories of Max and Evelyn.

The first months were hard. She returned to climbing, now alone, a solitary rhythm that steadied her.

One day a mutual acquaintance from London texted: Heard Max and Evelyn moved in together. Been two months now.

Eleanor turned the phone off.

The ache didnt vanish, but it dulled. She stopped crying at night, stopped replaying their last meeting. She walked forward, step by step, day by day.

She hadnt just lost a partner and a friend; shed lost trust in peoples honesty, belief that friendship could be pure, that love wouldnt be betrayed so easily.

Yet she resolved to rebuild her life, more cautiously letting new people in. The pain would linger for a long time, but Eleanor knew she would endure, because she had no other choice.