Sandali

Unspoken Questions

[MALOI]

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the living room as Colet finished bandaging my ankle. The ice had done its job, leaving behind a dull ache that was easily forgotten with the warmth of Colet's hand still lingering on mine.

Silence hung heavy in the air, a comfortable space filled with unspoken thoughts and emotions. Unable to break the spell, I found myself gazing at Colet, her brow furrowed in concentration as she tucked the bandage securely in place.

"There," she announced, her voice soft. My gaze flickered up to meet hers, and a jolt went through me. A blush bloomed across her cheeks, mirroring the heat rising in my own face. Was it just the close proximity, or was there something more?

"Thanks," I mumbled, my voice barely a whisper.

A smile tugged at the corners of Colet's lips. It was a hesitant smile, tinged with a hint of shyness, and it sent a flutter through my heart. For a moment, we simply stared at each other, lost in the unspoken language that had bloomed between us over the past few weeks.

"So," Colet finally started, her voice barely above a whisper. "About the park..."

My breath hitched. The playful teasing about being her girlfriend echoed in my mind, but this time, the question held a different weight.

"Yeah?" I managed, my voice just as quiet.

Colet bit her lip, her gaze flickering away from mine momentarily before returning. "I... I shouldn't have said that," she confessed, her voice barely audible.

"Shouldn't have said what?" I pressed, a strange mixture of disappointment and curiosity swirling within me.

She took a deep breath, her cheeks burning a deeper shade of red. "About being my girlfriend," she whispered, her voice barely above a squeak.

The words hung heavy in the air, a confession hovering at the edge of being spoken. My heart pounded in my chest, a frantic rhythm that mirrored the tangled emotions within me. Did Colet feel the same way? Was this the moment where the carefully constructed walls around our hearts would crumble?

I opened my mouth to reply, a jumbled mess of words swirling on my tongue. But before I could get anything out, Coleen averted her gaze, a flicker of doubt clouding her eyes.

"Nevermind," she mumbled, her voice barely a whisper. "It was a stupid thing to say. Forget it."

Disappointment washed over me, a cold wave that doused the spark of hope that had ignited within me. Perhaps I had misread the situation. Perhaps this was just the lingering warmth of the moment, a fabricated intimacy fueled by the fake narrative we were portraying.

"Okay," I said, forcing a smile that felt strained and unconvincing. "Forget it."

The silence returned, thicker and heavier than before. The unspoken truth hung between us, a weight that threatened to suffocate the newfound closeness we'd shared.

But as the silence stretched on, I couldn't help but steal another glance at Colet. Her eyes were downcast, her expression unreadable. Yet, beneath the mask of nonchalance, I thought I saw a flicker of something else - a hint of regret, perhaps?

The question lingered in the air, unanswered. Would this be the end of this unspoken connection, or was there still a chance for something more? As I looked at Colet, a question burned on my tongue, a question that could change everything.

"Colet," I started, my voice barely above a whisper. "About what you were going to say..."

The words hung in the air, a cliffhanger that threatened to shatter the fragile bond we shared. Colet's head snapped up to meet my gaze, her eyes filled with a mixture of apprehension and what could have been... hope? The answer remained unspoken, leaving me suspended in a moment of agonizing uncertainty.