Between Us

Chapter 20: The Misunderstanding

The air in the courtyard was heavy, though the day was sunny and warm. Babe sat at one of the benches, his back to the cafe, where he knew Billy and Prae were sitting together. He couldn't bring himself to watch them any longer. It wasn't like they were doing anything wrong—they were just talking, laughing, catching up like old friends. But that didn't stop the dull ache forming in his chest.

Babe had been avoiding Billy for days now. After seeing him with Prae at the cafe, he hadn't known what to do with all the feelings rushing through him. He tried to tell himself he was overreacting, that nothing had changed between him and Billy. But the more he thought about it, the more the doubt crept in. What if Billy was starting to realize that Prae was what he wanted all along?

The thought gnawed at him, making him pull back even more.

Billy had texted a few times, asking if they could hang out, but Babe always had an excuse. "Busy with class," "Have a project," "Meeting Nana,"—anything to keep the distance. He wasn't ready to face the possibility that Billy's feelings might have shifted. He wasn't ready to get hurt.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he didn't need to check to know it was Billy again. His stomach twisted as he stared at the screen. What am I doing?

Ignoring the message, Babe got up, feeling the need to put more space between himself and the cafe. The tension in his chest was almost unbearable, like a vice tightening around his heart. He didn't know how to deal with this feeling—the constant fear that, despite everything, he still wasn't enough.

As he walked aimlessly through campus, his mind spiraled. He tried to replay his conversations with Billy over the past few weeks, looking for clues, anything that would tell him if Billy had been pulling away too. But nothing stood out. Billy had been kind, attentive, and supportive... so why did Babe feel like the ground was slipping out from under him?

Lost in his thoughts, Babe didn't realize someone was calling his name until a hand grabbed his arm.

"Babe! There you are."

He turned, his heart lurching when he saw Billy standing in front of him, breathless, like he'd been running to catch up.

"I've been trying to reach you," Billy said, frowning. "You've been avoiding me."

Babe's heart pounded. He hadn't expected Billy to confront him like this, not so soon. His first instinct was to lie, to brush it off, but the intensity in Billy's eyes stopped him.

"Yeah, I've just been... busy," Babe mumbled, looking away, but even he knew how hollow that sounded.

Billy's frown deepened. "Busy? That's it?" He stepped closer, searching Babe's face. "What's really going on?"

Babe bit his lip, the familiar panic rising in his chest. This was the moment he had been dreading. If he said the wrong thing, if he let his insecurities spill out, he risked ruining everything.

But Billy wasn't giving him an out. His gaze was steady, almost pleading. Babe couldn't hide from him anymore.

"I..." Babe swallowed hard, his voice shaking. "I don't know, okay? I just—everything's different now, and I don't know how to deal with it."

Billy's expression softened, but he still looked confused. "Different how? I thought we were good. We talked, and we agreed to take things slow."

Babe's chest tightened, the floodgates of his insecurity starting to open. "Yeah, we did. But then Prae came back, and I saw you with her, and..." He trailed off, his words catching in his throat.

Billy blinked, clearly taken aback. "Wait—this is about Prae?"

Babe felt his face flush, shame bubbling up inside him. "I know it's stupid, okay? I know she's just a friend, but seeing you with her... I don't know. It made me feel like maybe you're realizing I'm not what you want."

There. He had said it. The thing that had been haunting him for days. And now, standing in front of Billy, the vulnerability made him feel exposed in the worst way.

Billy stared at him for a moment, the confusion in his eyes slowly giving way to understanding. His face softened, and without warning, he reached out, placing a hand on Babe's arm.

"Babe," Billy said gently, his voice steady but full of warmth. "Prae's just a friend. She's always been just a friend."

Babe looked down, his heart still pounding. "I know that logically, but it's hard to believe it when I see you two together. It feels like there's history there."

Billy sighed, his hand squeezing Babe's arm reassuringly. "There is history, but not like that. Prae and I... we're close because we grew up together, but it's never been romantic. I promise you, there's nothing between us. You're the one I'm figuring things out with."

Babe's breath hitched, his heart swelling at Billy's words, but the insecurities were still there, clawing at the back of his mind.

"But what if you realize you made a mistake?" Babe whispered, barely able to meet Billy's eyes. "What if I'm not what you really want?"

Billy stepped closer, his hand moving from Babe's arm to gently lift his chin, forcing him to look up.

"Listen to me," Billy said softly, his voice firm but kind. "I don't do things I'm not sure about. And I'm not unsure about you."

Babe's breath caught, the weight of Billy's words sinking in. For the first time in days, the tension in his chest began to ease, but the fear wasn't completely gone. There were still so many unknowns, so many things that could go wrong.

But looking into Billy's eyes now, seeing the sincerity there, he realized that maybe... just maybe, he could trust this.

Babe swallowed hard, his throat tight. "I don't want to mess this up."

Billy smiled, that familiar warmth radiating from him. "You won't. We won't. We'll figure it out, just like we said."

For a long moment, they stood there in silence, the weight of the misunderstanding finally starting to lift. And though there were still questions, still uncertainties, Babe could feel the first flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, they would be okay.