Between Us

Chapter 11: The Weight of Silence

Babe sat on Nana's couch, staring blankly at the phone in his hands. His fingers hovered over the screen, where a half-written message to Billy glowed back at him. He had been trying to type something for the past twenty minutes—an apology, an explanation, anything that would make sense of the mess in his head. But no matter how many times he tried, he couldn't find the right words.

The memory of their conversation in the cafe played on a loop in his mind. He had been so close to telling Billy the truth, so close to breaking down the walls he had built around his heart. But then, the message from Kai had ruined everything.

Now, all Babe could feel was frustration. Frustration with himself for not being able to say what he needed to say, and frustration with the endless cycle of avoidance he had trapped himself in.

He sighed heavily, tossing his phone onto the couch beside him. Why is this so hard?

Nana, who had been lounging in the kitchen, wandered back into the living room with a bowl of popcorn, raising an eyebrow at Babe's defeated expression. "Still haven't texted him, huh?"

Babe groaned, leaning his head back against the cushions. "I don't know what to say."

"Maybe start with 'I'm sorry I've been a weirdo lately' and go from there?" Nana suggested, plopping down beside him and offering the popcorn.

Babe shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "It's not that simple, Nana."

Nana crunched on a piece of popcorn, giving him a look. "You're making it complicated. That's the problem."

Babe stared at the ceiling, the weight of his unspoken feelings pressing down on him. "I know, I know. I just... every time I try to talk to him, it feels like my brain shuts down."

Nana sighed dramatically, giving Babe a light shove. "Because you're too busy overthinking. You're so worried about how things might go wrong that you're not even giving yourself a chance to see how things might go right."

Babe shot him a skeptical look. "And what if they don't go right?"

Nana shrugged, tossing another piece of popcorn into his mouth. "Then at least you'll know where you stand. But honestly, babe, I don't think Billy's going to freak out. He cares about you too much."

Babe's heart ached at the thought. He knew Billy cared, but caring didn't always mean things would work out the way he wanted them to.

Nana, sensing the tension, leaned back on the couch and turned the TV on, flipping through channels. "Look, I get it. You've got a lot of feelings swirling around in that cute little head of yours. But maybe take a breather for once. You're not going to solve everything in one conversation, so stop putting all this pressure on yourself."

Babe let out a long breath, his eyes drifting back to his phone. He knew Nana was right, but the fear of what could happen if he let his guard down still clung to him, refusing to let go.

"You know what you need?" Nana said, a mischievous glint in his eye. "A distraction. How about we forget about Billy for a second and just chill? Watch something dumb and laugh it off?"

Babe managed a small smile. "Maybe."

As the afternoon dragged on, Babe found himself zoning out in front of the TV while Nana scrolled through his phone. Despite Nana's best efforts to lighten the mood, the weight of everything still sat heavy on Babe's shoulders.

His phone buzzed beside him, and for a split second, his heart leapt—hoping it was a message from Billy. But when he glanced at the screen, it was just a random notification, not the one he had been waiting for.

The disappointment hit him harder than he expected. I can't keep doing this.

With a sigh, he picked up his phone again and opened his messages. The unsent text to Billy stared back at him, mocking him with its emptiness. He typed a few words, then deleted them. Typed again, then erased the whole thing once more.

Nana, glancing over, rolled his eyes. "Okay, this is getting painful to watch. Just send him something. Anything. Even if it's just 'Hey.'"

Babe chewed on his bottom lip, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. The knot of fear and uncertainty tightened in his chest, but he knew Nana was right. He had to say something. He couldn't keep avoiding Billy forever.

Finally, after what felt like hours of agonizing indecision, Babe typed a short message and hit send before he could second-guess himself.

Babe: Hey, can we talk? I'm sorry about yesterday.

He stared at the screen, waiting for a response. Seconds ticked by, turning into minutes, and the longer he waited, the more anxious he felt.

But no reply came.

Nana, sensing the tension, gave Babe a sympathetic smile. "It'll be okay, babe. Just give him some time."

Babe nodded, though the knot in his chest refused to loosen. What if I've already messed everything up?