Friend apologizes for not being active, but then still takes long to reply?

[Anonymous]

So my online friend has been acting distant lately. Left me on read on Wednesday (though my message didn't really require a response tbh), then I sent another text on Thursday (about something unrelated). She replied on Friday, said that she had been busy lately (preparing stuff for the weekend because she was apparently going to some events). OK, fine. I reply to her on Friday, she replies exactly 24 hours later on Saturday. On Saturday, I reply again, then send another message (invitation to spend time together because we haven't done it in a few weeks). Still no response after 2 days. I told myself: "She'll not hear from me again 'till she texts me".

She texts me on the 3rd day and says "Hey! I'm sorry, I haven't been feeling really good lately" (she didn't word it like that, but I guess that's pretty much what it meant). Then, she says that she hopes I'm feeling good and she asks me what I thought of the latest episode of the tv show that we both watch. She texted this very early in the morning, so I replied like 3 hours later (when I woke up). She still hasn't replied. But, we text on a website that doesn't send push notifications, so that might explain why she hasn't replied yet. But I don't want to check if she has read it (or else she'll see that I was active not long ago and probably believe that I'm obsessing over if she has read it or not). Saying this because she knows that I pretty much only chat with her on that website. I just don't understand, she literally apologized this morning for being inactive and now she's back at it again.

Anyway, now, my question is (please vote in the poll): should I stop texting her first and not double text as well (even if she might actually not be feeling all that good at the moment)? And should I ask her if she wishes to keep contact with me (could explain that I'm feeling a distance in the friendship)?

Yes

No

[Britchie]

Yeah don't text too much. Play it cool. Don't get too heavy with the emotions of the situation with her. You obviously care a lot about it, but don't push her away by making her feel guilty. If you do that she will be anxious about talking to you and it will weigh on her and drain her emotionally.

[WhitneySnow]

She’s probably just super busy. People do have lives.

[Asker]

Haha I know, but it's still ironic how she apologizes for being inactive, but then takes a day (or maybe even more, I still don't know) to reply?

PS: I didn't even say anything. She just apologized on her own. I didn't say "Hey, why are you taking so long to reply", etc. I didn't double text her.

[WhitneySnow]

No big deal. She was tryna be nice.

[Asker]

So like, should I just give her time to reply (or should I double text? Y'know, she said that she has been a little off these past few days... So maybe I should double text her to see if she's alright?)?

Should I let her initiate the next conversation?

[WhitneySnow]

Give her time to reply

[Asker]

And what about initiating conversations?

[WhitneySnow]

Let her initiate next time

Do you like her like her? Is that why you’re paying so much attention to her? Cause I don’t think she likes you back.

[Asker]

No, she's just a friend.

[Asker]

But I'm asking this because I've been afraid of losing our friendship lately.

[WhitneySnow]

Just let her initiate next time

[Asker]

Should I ask her if she still wants to keep contact with me, though? I know that I'm obviously not her top priority (and it makes sense), but I can feel some sort of distance right now.

[WhitneySnow]

Sure. Be honest with her.