Between Us

Chapter 7: Hidden Signs

The sun streamed through the curtains as Babe dragged himself out of bed, the events of the previous day still swirling in his mind. The confrontation with Billy had left him feeling emotionally drained, his heart heavy with unresolved tension. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep pretending everything was fine.

As he got dressed, his phone buzzed on the nightstand. It was a message from Nana.

Nana: I'm grabbing coffee in 20. You're coming. No excuses.

Babe smiled faintly at the text. Leave it to Nana to force him out of his funk with his usual no-nonsense attitude.

Babe: Do I have a choice?

Nana: No. See you there.

The cafe was quiet when Babe arrived, the usual bustle of students studying or chatting in groups absent for the morning. Nana was already seated at a table near the window, sipping on his iced latte, his phone in hand as he scrolled through what looked like the latest campus gossip.

"Look who finally showed up," Nana teased, grinning as Babe slid into the seat across from him.

"Yeah, yeah," Babe muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're impossible to say no to."

"I know." Nana's grin widened, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "So, tell me, how are you feeling after yesterday's... incident?"

Babe groaned, slumping in his chair. "Don't remind me. It was awful."

Nana's expression softened slightly, though his teasing tone remained. "Yeah, well, you can't avoid it forever, babe. You know that, right?"

Babe stared down at his coffee, swirling the cup idly. "I know. But it's just... it's complicated. Every time I think about telling Billy the truth, I feel like I'm going to mess everything up."

Nana took a sip of his drink, his playful demeanor fading into something more serious. "Babe, you're overthinking it. I mean, yeah, it's scary, but you can't let fear hold you back. You're stronger than that."

Babe sighed, his mind still clouded with doubt. "What if he doesn't feel the same? What if—"

Nana cut him off, his voice firm but not unkind. "What if he does? And what if you're just torturing yourself for no reason? Sometimes, you just have to take the leap."

Babe frowned, picking at the edge of his coffee cup. Nana was right, but it didn't make the situation any easier to deal with. Still, the weight of keeping everything bottled up was getting heavier by the day.

"Look," Nana continued, his voice softening again, "I'm not saying you have to do anything drastic right now. But maybe try not to take it so seriously for once. Have fun. Relax. Things have a way of working themselves out when you stop trying to control every little detail."

Babe nodded slowly, though he wasn't sure how to "relax" in a situation like this. His feelings for Billy weren't something he could just brush off.

Nana, sensing the tension, leaned back in his chair, a grin creeping back onto his face. "Okay, enough of this serious talk. I have a plan."

Babe raised an eyebrow, suddenly wary. "A plan?"

Nana's grin widened. "Yup. We're going out tonight. Just you, me, and a few friends. No Billy. No drama. Just a good time to get your mind off things."

Babe hesitated. "I don't know, Nana..."

"Nope." Nana waved a hand dismissively. "No excuses. You need this. Besides, it'll be fun. I've already got a few people coming. And you know I throw the best parties."

Babe couldn't help but chuckle. Nana's parties were legendary, mostly because they were always full of spontaneous fun and unexpected antics.

"Fine," Babe conceded, smiling for the first time that morning. "I'll go."

Billy's POV

Meanwhile, Billy was still turning over yesterday's conversation in his head. He couldn't shake the feeling that something deeper was going on with Babe, something that went beyond the usual stress of school or life.

He had spent most of the night replaying every interaction they'd had over the past few weeks, trying to piece together the puzzle. And the more he thought about it, the more he started to notice little things he hadn't picked up on before—like the way Babe seemed to avoid his gaze whenever they talked about certain topics, or how he always seemed tense whenever Prae's name came up.

It wasn't just about stress. It was about him.

Billy frowned, his mind racing as he considered the possibility. Could it be that Babe's feelings toward him weren't just friendly? He'd never thought of it that way before, but now that the idea was in his head, it was hard to ignore.

Pete's words from the other day echoed in his mind. Maybe he's crushing on someone. Maybe it's you.

Billy shook his head, trying to clear the thought. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but at the same time, he couldn't deny the strange tension between them.

He needed to figure this out. He needed to talk to Babe again—this time, with a clearer understanding of what might be going on. But he also didn't want to push too hard. If Babe was hiding something, there had to be a reason.

Billy sighed, running a hand through his hair as he sat at a bench near the campus quad, watching students pass by. He spotted a couple of familiar faces, including Prae, who waved at him from across the lawn. He waved back absentmindedly, his thoughts still fixated on Babe.

I have to get to the bottom of this.