Love Her, Not Me

Chapter 17: "Threads of Confusion"

Note:
"HELLO, THIS IS THE AUTHOR :D I kind made this chapt story since I'm in a hurry... Sorry!"

Warning:
Wholesome drama
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Chapter 17: "Threads of Confusion"

Matthew sat on the edge of the couch in Ray’s living room, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. The sound of rain tapping against the window filled the tense silence. Ray had disappeared into the kitchen to grab some water, but Matthew couldn’t shake the unease twisting in his chest.

When Ray returned, holding two glasses, he set them down on the coffee table without a word. He didn’t sit next to Matthew but chose the chair across from him, keeping a clear distance.

“Ray,” Matthew started, his voice tentative, “why have you been avoiding me?”

Ray looked up sharply, but the guarded expression on his face quickly returned. “I haven’t been avoiding you,” he said, though his tone lacked conviction.

Matthew frowned. “Come on, don’t lie to me. You barely talk to me anymore. You don’t sit with me at lunch. You dodge my calls—”

“I’ve been busy,” Ray interrupted, his voice sharper than he intended. “With schoolwork. Family stuff. I don’t know, Matt, life?”

Matthew’s brows furrowed, his frustration bubbling to the surface. “Ray, we’ve been best friends since freshman year. You think I can’t tell when something’s wrong? Just… talk to me.”

Ray’s fingers clenched around the armrest of the chair, his gaze dropping to the floor. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me,” Matthew said firmly, leaning forward.

For a moment, it seemed like Ray was going to brush him off again. But then, he sighed, his shoulders slumping. “It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you,” he said quietly. “It’s that I don’t know how.”

Matthew softened, his frustration melting into concern. “You can tell me anything, Ray. You know that, right?”

Ray laughed bitterly, shaking his head. “Not this.”

“Why not?” Matthew pressed.

Ray hesitated, his hands fidgeting in his lap. “Because it’ll change everything,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Matthew’s heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?”

Ray stood abruptly, pacing across the room. “Forget it,” he said, his tone now more defensive. “You wouldn’t get it, and honestly, it doesn’t even matter anymore.”

“Ray—”

“It doesn’t matter!” Ray snapped, his voice cracking. He stopped in his tracks, his back to Matthew. “You already made it clear where you stand, Matt. I get it. I’m not going to force you to feel something you don’t.”

Matthew blinked, taken aback. “Wait… are you talking about—”

“Yes!” Ray turned to face him, his eyes blazing with frustration and pain. “I’m talking about me being stupid enough to think you might actually feel the same way. I’m talking about confessing to you three times and getting rejected every single time. I’m talking about trying to move on, but you won’t let me because you keep pulling me back in!”

Matthew stared at him, his mind racing. “Ray, I—”

“No,” Ray cut him off, his voice trembling. “Don’t. Don’t try to fix this. I’m tired, Matt. I can’t keep doing this.”

The room fell silent, the weight of Ray’s words hanging heavily in the air. Matthew didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t realized just how much his rejections had hurt Ray—or how much Ray had been carrying on his own.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Matthew said finally, his voice quiet. “I just… I didn’t know how to handle it.”

Ray let out a hollow laugh. “Yeah, well, neither did I.”

They stood there, staring at each other across the room, the rain outside echoing the storm between them.

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” Matthew admitted.

“I don’t want you to say anything,” Ray replied. “I just… I just need some space.”

Matthew’s heart sank, but he nodded reluctantly. “Okay. If that’s what you need.”

Ray turned away, his gaze fixed on the rain-streaked window. “You should go home, Matt. It’s late.”

Matthew hesitated, his chest tight with emotions he didn’t know how to name. But he knew pushing Ray right now would only make things worse.

“Alright,” he said softly. “But I’m here if you ever want to talk. You know that, right?”

Ray didn’t respond, his silence cutting deeper than any words could.

With a heavy heart, Matthew grabbed his things and left, the sound of the rain accompanying him as he walked home. But as he disappeared into the night, one thought kept echoing in his mind:

I can’t lose him. Not like this.

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To be continued…