You And I

Chapter 26: The Morning After

I woke up with the faint sound of rain still tapping against the window. It wasn't as heavy as last night, but it was steady enough to make me realize that it was still going to be a gloomy day. I rubbed my eyes and sat up, glancing over at my bed. Mei was still fast asleep, curled up in the blanket, her face half-hidden by the pillow.

For a moment, I just sat there, watching her. It felt strange, seeing her so relaxed after everything last night-sharing my room, the rain, her insistence that I sleep in my bed with her. I felt a nervous flutter in my stomach, but I didn't let my mind wander too much. I didn't want to make things awkward between us, especially after how good things had been lately.

I got up quietly and changed into a fresh set of clothes. The room felt slightly chilly, but I didn't want to wake her up yet. Instead, I decided to go downstairs and prepare some breakfast. It wasn't anything fancy-just some toast and eggs, but it was something to keep me busy.

As I was setting the plates on the table, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned and saw Mei standing there, still looking a little sleepy, but with a soft smile on her face.

"Good morning," she said, her voice quiet.

"Morning," I replied. "Did you sleep well?"

She nodded, rubbing her arms as if trying to shake off the last bit of sleepiness. "Yeah... thanks again for letting me stay. I hope I didn't take up too much space."

I smiled, shaking my head. "Not at all. I told you, it's fine. You looked comfortable."

There was a brief silence, and I felt that familiar awkwardness creeping back. We both sat down at the table and started eating in silence. It wasn't uncomfortable, but there was definitely something hanging in the air that neither of us seemed ready to address.

As we ate, I thought about how different things felt. It was like we were balancing on the edge of something, but neither of us wanted to push it too far. I didn't want to ruin the friendship we had, and I wasn't sure if she felt the same. It was confusing, to say the least.

After breakfast, I checked my phone. My mom had messaged, saying that she wouldn't be back until the afternoon. I told Mei about it, and she looked a little hesitant.

"I should probably get going soon," she said, glancing out the window at the still-drizzling rain. "I don't want to overstay my welcome."

"Nah, it's fine," I said, trying to sound casual. "You can stay as long as you need. I'll walk you home once the rain dies down a bit."

She gave a small nod, but I could tell she wasn't completely at ease. It was like something was bothering her, but she wasn't ready to talk about it. And to be honest, I wasn't sure if I was ready to hear it.

We spent the rest of the morning sitting in the living room, watching the rain and chatting about random stuff-school, upcoming exams, nothing too serious. It was nice, just having her there, but I could feel the weight of unspoken words between us. Every time I glanced over at her, I wondered if she was thinking the same thing.

Eventually, the rain lightened up enough for us to head out. I grabbed an umbrella and we made our way outside, the streets wet but calm. The walk to her house was quiet for the most part, both of us lost in our own thoughts.

When we finally reached her house, she turned to me with a small smile.

"Thanks again for everything, Levi," she said, her voice soft. "I really appreciate it."

"No problem," I replied, trying to sound as normal as possible. "Anytime."

There was a brief pause, and I thought for a second that maybe she was going to say something more, but she just waved and headed inside. I stood there for a moment, staring after her, unsure of what exactly had just happened-or what hadn't happened.

As I walked back home, the clouds started to clear up, but I still felt that strange heaviness in my chest. Something had definitely changed between us, but I wasn't sure what it was or how to deal with it. For now, I decided not to think too much about it. After all, I didn't want to mess things up by overanalyzing every little moment.

But deep down, I knew I couldn't ignore it forever.