Between Us

Chapter 5: Unspoken Words

Babe's steps felt heavier with each passing moment as he made his way to the cafe. The familiar path, usually so easy and routine, seemed more daunting than ever. His heart pounded in his chest, and his mind was racing with one scenario after another, each worse than the last. What if Billy had figured it out? What if he wanted to confront him about it? What if this was the moment everything changed—for the worse?

Just breathe, Babe. You're overthinking this. He tried to calm himself, but the anxiety only grew stronger with each step.

As he approached the cafe, he spotted Billy already sitting at one of the outdoor tables, his gaze focused on the street in front of him. His posture was relaxed, but something about the set of his jaw told Babe that this wasn't going to be just another casual hangout.

The pit in Babe's stomach deepened.

He forced a shaky breath and walked up to the table, feeling like the ground might give way beneath him at any moment.

"Hey," Babe greeted, trying to sound casual, but his voice came out more strained than he intended.

Billy looked up, his eyes locking onto Babe's with an intensity that immediately set him on edge. "Hey. Sit down."

Babe hesitated, swallowing hard before sitting down across from Billy. He could already feel the tension thickening in the air between them, and it took everything in him not to fidget or avoid Billy's gaze.

Billy leaned back in his chair, studying him for a moment. "You okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Babe replied quickly, too quickly. He could see the doubt flicker in Billy's eyes, and he hated himself for being so obvious.

Billy didn't let it go. "You sure? Because you've been acting weird for a while now."

Babe's heart sank. Here we go.

"I'm not—" Babe started, but Billy raised a hand, cutting him off.

"Don't lie to me, Babe. I know something's up. I just don't get why you won't talk to me about it."

Babe felt his throat tighten. He couldn't meet Billy's eyes, couldn't stand the way his gaze seemed to pierce right through him, demanding answers that he wasn't ready to give. "I... I don't know what you mean," Babe muttered, focusing intently on the edge of the table as if it held all the answers.

Billy sighed, leaning forward. "Come on, Babe. You've been avoiding me. You barely talk to me anymore, and when you do, you're distant. It's like you're keeping something from me, and I don't understand why."

The concern in Billy's voice made Babe's heart ache. He wanted to tell him the truth—he wanted to let everything spill out, but the fear of rejection, of losing Billy, held him back like an invisible chain.

"I'm just... I've been stressed with school and everything," Babe deflected, avoiding the real issue.

Billy wasn't convinced. He leaned in closer, his voice softer but insistent. "It's not just school. I know you, Babe. There's something else."

Babe's pulse quickened, and he could feel the pressure building inside him, like a dam ready to burst. He clenched his fists under the table, struggling to hold it all in. "I... I don't know what you want me to say."

"I want you to be honest with me," Billy said, his tone gentle but firm. "Whatever it is, I'm here. You can tell me."

I can't. I can't do this. Babe felt the panic rising in his chest, and his mind raced, searching for a way out. But the more Billy pressed, the more cornered he felt.

Babe's hands trembled as he glanced up, meeting Billy's eyes for the briefest moment before looking away again. "I... It's nothing, really. I'm just dealing with stuff, you know? I didn't mean to make you worry."

Billy's frown deepened, his frustration evident. "You're not telling me everything. I can feel it, Babe. You're hiding something."

Babe bit his lip, the tension in his chest nearly unbearable. His mind screamed at him to just say it, to rip off the band-aid and let the chips fall where they may. But his voice refused to cooperate.

"I..." Babe started, but the words got stuck in his throat. His pulse pounded in his ears, and his vision blurred slightly as the weight of it all pressed down on him. He couldn't do it. Not like this. Not when he wasn't ready.

Billy exhaled sharply, leaning back in his chair. He crossed his arms, studying Babe with a mix of concern and frustration. "Look, if you don't want to talk about it, fine. But don't pretend like nothing's wrong when it's obvious something is."

Babe nodded weakly, the guilt gnawing at him from the inside out. He had let Billy down—again. And the worst part was, he knew this wasn't over. The tension between them wasn't going away. If anything, it was only getting worse.

Billy ran a hand through his hair, letting out another sigh. "I just... I don't get it. We've always been close. You can talk to me, Babe. About anything. So why are you shutting me out?"

Babe's heart clenched painfully at Billy's words. You can talk to me about anything. Except the one thing that was tearing him apart inside.

"I'm sorry," Babe whispered, his voice barely audible. "I didn't mean to shut you out."

Billy shook his head, looking more confused than ever. "I don't know what's going on, but I'm not going to push you if you're not ready to talk. Just... promise me you won't keep shutting me out like this."

Babe nodded, though he wasn't sure if he could keep that promise. He wasn't ready to talk, but he also wasn't ready to lose Billy. It was a cruel, impossible situation, and he didn't know how much longer he could survive in this limbo.