FROM FRIENDS TO MORE || Gavi x Pedri

Chapter 41 :: Explain

The park was a symphony of muted sounds: rustling leaves, the distant hum of traffic, the soft chirping of birds. Gavi sought solace in its familiar embrace, a refuge from the turmoil raging within him. He had been walking for hours, his mind a whirlwind of guilt and regret, each step a painful reminder of his fractured relationship with Pedri.

He had tried to avoid him, to pretend that the hurt, the anger, the unspoken words, could be swept under the rug, ignored until they faded away. But the truth was, they were festering, growing larger with each passing day, a constant ache in his heart.

He stopped at a familiar bench, the one where he and Pedri had spent countless hours, sharing secrets, dreams, and stolen kisses. The memory of their laughter, the warmth of their touch, now felt like a distant echo, a painful reminder of what he had lost.

He closed his eyes, trying to shut out the pain, but it was relentless. He could still see the hurt in Pedri's eyes, hear the anger in his voice. He had tried to explain, to apologize, but his words had been met with a wall of rejection, a cold indifference that had left him shattered.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, a gentle touch that startled him. He opened his eyes, his heart leaping into his throat. Pedri stood before him, his face etched with a mixture of sadness and anger. He looked as though he hadn't slept, his eyes red-rimmed and shadowed, his jaw clenched tight.

"Gavi," Pedri said, his voice a low, strained whisper. "What did you do?"

Gavi's heart sank. He had hoped to avoid this confrontation, to pretend that the chasm that had opened between them could be bridged with time and silence. But Pedri's presence, the raw emotion in his voice, shattered any hope of escape.

"I... I didn't mean to hurt you," Gavi stammered, his voice trembling. He felt a wave of guilt wash over him, a suffocating weight that pressed down on his chest.

Pedri took a step closer, his gaze intense, his eyes burning with a fire that mirrored the turmoil within him. "You didn't mean to hurt me?" he asked, his voice laced with a bitter irony. "You didn't mean to break my heart? You didn't mean to leave me feeling like I'm not enough?"

Gavi felt tears welling up in his eyes, but he blinked them back, determined to be strong. "I care about you, Pedri," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "But..."

"But what?" Pedri interrupted, his voice rising in frustration. "But you don't love me the way I love you? But you're not willing to fight for us?"

Gavi's heart ached, a sharp, piercing pain that mirrored the anguish he saw in Pedri's eyes. He wished he could erase his words, rewind the conversation, but he knew it was too late. He had hurt Pedri, deeply, and he didn't know how to fix it.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "I wish things were different."

Pedri's face hardened, his anger burning bright. "Sorry?" he scoffed, his voice laced with disdain. "Sorry isn't enough, Gavi. You broke my heart, and now you're just throwing out empty apologies?"

He turned away, his shoulders shaking with barely suppressed anger. "I don't need your pity," he said, his voice choked with emotion. "I need your love, and you're not capable of giving it to me."

He walked away, his footsteps echoing in the quiet park, his anger leaving a trail of shattered silence in its wake. Gavi watched him go, his heart heavy with a mixture of guilt and despair. He had hurt Pedri, and he didn't know how to fix it. He had hoped for a chance to explain, to apologize, to maybe even find a way to bridge the chasm that had opened between them. But Pedri's anger had slammed the door shut, leaving Gavi alone with the weight of his own mistakes.

He sat on the bench, his head in his hands, the silence of the park a stark reminder of the emptiness that now filled his life. He had lost Pedri, and he didn't know how to get him back.