I have a friend who I’ve known since school started last year. We’re not best friends, but we sit together in a few classes and talk almost every day. About two months ago, Jay asked if he could borrow my laptop for a weekend because his wasn’t working and he had an assignment due. I hesitated at first because it was expensive and I take care of my stuff, but he promised he’d be careful with it. I agreed because I didn’t want to make things awkward, and he returned it on Monday. When I got it back, I noticed a small scratch on the corner and the battery seemed to drain faster than usual. I asked him about it, and he said he didn’t notice anything and maybe it was already like that. I couldn’t prove otherwise, so I didn’t push it further. Last week, he asked again if he could borrow it just for one night. This time I politely told him I wasn’t comfortable lending it out anymore. I didn’t accuse him directly, I just said I’d rather keep it with me.
He got quiet and later told me I was being paranoid and acting like he couldn’t be trusted. He also mentioned that if the roles were reversed, he’d help me without hesitation. A couple of people in our class overheard and said I was being stingy and that it’s normal to help friends. From my perspective, I didn’t insult him or embarrass him. I just set a boundary because I don’t want to risk damaging something important to me. But now things feel tense, and I’m wondering if I should’ve just let him borrow it again to avoid conflict. AITA?