The Gap Between Us (Under Revision)

Chapter 41

"Look what I bought you." Sandro said as he opened the shoe box of a Yves Saint Laurent shoes, and I don't know if I will be impressed or not, I know he is just making up for his mistakes.

I stared at the shoes, their glossy finish catching the light. Normally, I would've been thrilled. I mean, who wouldn't love designer shoes, right? But at that moment, they just felt... empty. Like they were his way of putting a band-aid on something much deeper.

"Thanks," I said, trying to muster a smile, but it didn't reach my eyes. I could tell he was watching me closely, hoping for a sign that everything was okay. But it wasn't. Not yet.

"Do you like them?" he asked, his voice hesitant. He was trying so hard to fix things, and I almost felt bad for not giving him the reaction he wanted. But he couldn't just buy his way out of what I was feeling.

"They're beautiful," I admitted, my voice softer now. "But, Sandro..." I hesitated, glancing at him before continuing. "This isn't about shoes or gifts. It's about how I felt when you... when you denied me." My voice cracked slightly, but I pushed through. "You can't fix that with fancy things."

Sandro sighed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I know," he said, his shoulders slumping a little. "I just thought... I don't know, maybe this would make you feel better. I'm not trying to buy your forgiveness, Lorraine. I just... I hate seeing you hurt, and I didn't know what else to do."

His words were sincere, but I still couldn't shake the lingering pain. "I get that," I replied, looking him in the eyes. "But what I need isn't something you can buy, Sandro. I need to feel like I matter to you. I need to feel like I'm not just some secret."

He nodded, stepping closer. "You do matter to me. More than anything. I'm just... figuring things out, and I'm sorry it's taking time. I'll do better, I promise."

I looked at him, his genuine expression making me soften just a bit. Maybe he really was trying. Maybe, despite all the mixed signals, he did want to make things right.

"I hope so," I whispered. "Because I can't keep feeling like this, Sandro."

He nodded again, pulling me into another hug, tighter this time, as if trying to hold the broken pieces together. I let him, even though a part of me still felt unsure.

The shoes were just shoes. What I needed was something deeper—something only time could heal.

Bilang pambawi, Sandro said he will reserve an expensive restaurant for a night just for the two of us, he made me wear the shoes he got me for our dinner tonight, he said he was really sincere for asking for my forgiveness and whenever someone will ask him that he will just avoid the question to not making me feel denied, besides naniniwala naman sila dahil wala silang makukuhang proof na kami na, but when I was stalking him on social media I saw comments that he was being rumored with one of his girl friends na kasama sa circle of friends nila, sadyang marami lang talagang kaibigan na babae si Sandro, of course I felt jealous that he has a lot of girl bestfriends but most of them are taken and engaged.

As Sandro helped me slip into the Yves Saint Laurent shoes, he gently kissed my hand, his eyes full of sincerity. "I want tonight to be special for us," he said softly. "I need you to know how much you mean to me, Lorraine."

I watched him as he spoke, still feeling the weight of everything that had happened, but there was something different about the way he was acting tonight. He was being extra careful, as if he was trying to make up for all the pain I had been feeling lately.

He took my hand, leading me to the car. "I've reserved an entire restaurant just for us tonight. No one else, just you and me," he said, flashing a small smile. It was an extravagant gesture, something only Sandro could pull off, but I could see in his eyes that this wasn't just about the dinner. He was trying to show me how serious he was about fixing things.