Loving You In Silent

Three months had passed since the sports event, and my life had settled into a rhythm—one that seemed both comforting and unsettling at the same time.

Jennie and I had become closer. Closer than I ever thought possible.

At first, it started with casual texts—inside jokes about the event or teasing messages about our shared quiet moments at the café. Slowly, the messages turned into long late-night conversations. We’d text until one of us fell asleep, the last messages always left hanging until morning. It was easy with her—easier than I ever expected. And for a while, I let myself believe that maybe this was enough.

We hung out more often too. Whether it was grabbing coffee after class, studying at the library, or walking aimlessly through the park on weekends, I grew used to having Jennie around. Used to the way she’d smile when she caught me off guard with a joke, or the way she’d laugh so hard she’d lean on me to keep herself steady.

She made me feel seen. I told myself it was enough.

But of course, it never was.

---

It all unraveled on a quiet Saturday afternoon. I’d just finished practice for a campus sports team—more like running around awkwardly with a group of girls who were far more athletic than me—when my phone buzzed.

Jennie: “Are you free tonight? I need to tell you something!”

My stomach did that annoying thing it always did when Jennie messaged me—this mix of excitement and nerves that I couldn’t shake, no matter how much I tried to pretend it wasn’t there.

I typed back quickly. Me: “Yeah, sure. Everything okay?”

Her response came back almost immediately. “Totally fine! I’ll tell you later. Meet me at the café?”

I smiled to myself. Of course she wanted to meet there. That café had become our unspoken “spot” over the past few months.

---

By the time I got to the café that evening, the sky had turned dusky pink, streaked with soft hints of orange. I spotted Jennie immediately, sitting by the window with two steaming cups of coffee already on the table.

“Hey!” she greeted me cheerfully, her smile lighting up her face. She pushed a cup toward me as I slid into the seat across from her. “I got your favorite.”

I took a sip, the familiar warmth spreading through me. “You’re getting too good at this,” I teased. “How do you always know what I want?”

Jennie grinned, shrugging playfully. “Maybe I’m just a good listener.”

There was a pause as we both fell quiet. She stared down at her cup for a moment, her fingers drumming lightly against the ceramic.

“Jennie?” I prompted, watching her carefully. “You said you needed to tell me something?”

Her expression softened into something unreadable—nervous, maybe, or hesitant. Finally, she took a deep breath and looked up at me.

“So… your brother asked me out,” she said quickly, the words tumbling out as if she wanted to get them over with.

For a second, I didn’t react. I blinked at her, the words registering like a distant echo.

“What?” I said, my voice quieter than I meant it to be.

Jennie looked away, as if she couldn’t quite meet my eyes. “V. He asked me out… and I said yes.”

There it was. The sentence that punched the air right out of my lungs.