Loving You In Silent

8

It had been weeks since Jennie and I had spoken. The silence between us wasn’t just awkward—it was unbearable. Every time I saw her in the hallways, she avoided my gaze, walking past me like we were strangers.

The worst part was that I didn’t know how to fix it. No matter how many times I replayed that night in my head, I couldn’t figure out where it all went so wrong. I wanted to talk to her, to apologize, but every attempt was met with cold indifference or outright avoidance.

I missed her.

But instead of dwelling on the hurt, I decided to focus on something else—the person who had started this entire mess: my brother, V.

---

I found him at home, sprawled out on the couch with his phone in hand. He looked up as I entered the living room, flashing me his usual carefree grin.

“Hey, Lisa,” he said. “What’s up?”

I stood there, arms crossed, staring at him. His grin faltered under my glare.

“What?” he asked, sitting up.

“What’s wrong with you?” I demanded, my voice sharp.

He blinked, confused. “What are you talking about?”

“You cheated on Jennie,” I said bluntly. “How could you do that to her? She cared about you, V. She trusted you.”

V sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Look, Lisa, it’s not that simple—”

“Don’t,” I cut him off. “Don’t give me some lame excuse. Just tell me why. Why would you hurt her like that?”

He leaned back, his expression shifting to something defensive. “I didn’t mean for it to happen, okay? It just… it happened.”

“That’s not an answer,” I snapped.

He groaned, rubbing his temples. “Fine. You want the truth? Things with Jennie were complicated. She was always so demanding, always expecting me to be this perfect boyfriend. It was exhausting, Lisa. I felt like I couldn’t do anything right.”

I stared at him, incredulous. “So your solution was to cheat on her? To betray her instead of just talking to her?”

“I tried talking to her!” he shot back. “But every time, it just turned into another argument. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

“That’s pathetic,” I said, my voice laced with disappointment. “You didn’t just hurt Jennie—you destroyed her. Do you even care about what you did to her?”

His expression softened, guilt flashing across his face. “Of course I care,” he muttered. “I didn’t want to hurt her, Lisa. I just… I didn’t know how to fix things.”

I shook my head, disgusted. “You didn’t even try. And now she’s hurting because of you. She’s not the same, V. She’s broken, and you’re the reason why.”

His eyes dropped to the floor, and for once, he didn’t have a snappy comeback.

“I hope it was worth it,” I said bitterly before turning and walking out of the room.

---

The confrontation with V didn’t make me feel any better. If anything, it made everything worse. I had wanted answers, but all I got was confirmation of what I already knew—my brother had been selfish, and Jennie had paid the price.

But as much as I wanted to hate him, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had failed her, too.

---

The distance between Jennie and me only grew.

At school, we passed each other in silence. Every time I saw her, a lump formed in my throat. She looked different now—quieter, more withdrawn. The spark that used to light up her eyes was gone, replaced by a dull sadness that made my chest ache.

I wanted to reach out to her, to tell her that I missed her, that I was sorry for whatever I had done to push her away. But every time I tried, the memory of her angry words held me back.

Why do you even care so much?
I didn’t ask you to keep showing up and making me feel worse.

Maybe she was right. Maybe my presence only made things harder for her.

---

One day, I found myself standing outside her locker, clutching a small note I had written. It wasn’t much—just a simple apology and a request to talk. I hesitated for a long moment before finally slipping it into her locker and walking away.

But the next day, when I saw her walking to class, the note was still crumpled in her hand. She didn’t even look at me as she tossed it into the trash.

That was when I realized that whatever bond we had shared was gone.

---

That night, as I lay in bed, I thought about everything that had happened over the past few months—the laughter, the late-night talks, the moments that had made me feel closer to Jennie than I had ever felt to anyone.

And now? Now we were nothing more than strangers.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I stared at the ceiling, the weight of it all pressing down on me.

“I’m sorry, Jennie,” I whispered to the empty room. “I’m so, so sorry.”

But I knew she would never hear those words. And even if she did, I wasn’t sure they would make a difference.

Jennie was gone. And I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get her back.