I think the context was more meaningful to you than it seems to me as an objective observer. I think it was on you from the beginning to be friends with people you like, and it's still on you now.
If she's ditched them both, or not, or why, shouldn't really have any bearing on you separately being in contact with them if you like them.
You aren't really going to get to pick whose side they end up on, so you're not doing W a disservice or anything by reaching out to them as people you like. You're not doing W a favor or anything by not reaching out to them. They'll form their own opinions and be close to you, or not, for their own reasons.
The only outcome you might control is that they won't be close to you anymore if you don't reach out to them. It seems worth it to me to go be friendly with them.
I'm getting ready to contact a couple I haven't heard from in 12 years, because I keep thinking about them and how much I liked them and how interesting they were. I haven't heard from them because they were "H's friends from high school" and not "my friends" and when they seemed to drift away from H I didn't feel like it was my place to try to connect with them. Now I'm puzzled why I acted like that, and I'm going to see if I can find them.
When I do, they may reject me because they're "H's friends and not mine" even though they've been out of touch with him for a dozen years. It's worth a shot. Until I reach out to them they're definitely not my friends; if I do reach out, they might be and I might like having them back in my life. Most likely we'll reconnect for an hour or trade FB messages and drift apart again but I think I would like to at least let them know I'd like to hang out with them. I feel like that's kind of similar to your friends.
Adinva 51, S20, S18 M24 total 6/15/11-12/1/12 From IDLY to H moving out 9/15/15-3/7/17 From negotiating SA to final D at age 50 5/8/17-now: New relationship with an old friend __ Happiness is a warm puppy.
