"You don't realize how far apart you've drifted until catching up feels like confession. And sometimes, catching up isn't about updates. It's just an excuse to stay a little longer." -Kahlil Loui Solis
Friday— 4:23 PM
UST Benavides Garden
The bench was warm. Not because of the sun, but because he was sitting beside me again.
Crei.
Two feet of space between us. Comfortable. Careful.
"Last time I offered to take you out," he said, eyes on the koi pond in front of us, "you said no."
I looked down at my cup of melted iced coffee. Stirred it for no reason.
"That was months ago."
He glanced at me. "So?"
I smirked. "So maybe I'm still saying no."
"Maybe," he said, "I'm offering again."
I blinked at him.
He didn't look away.
FLASHBACK — 4 Months Ago, After Class, Just Outside the UST Coop
"Kuya, 'di parin tayo magkakilala."
Ngumiti siya, bahagyang nakayuko. "So... do you want to go out? Get to know me?"
"...what?"
"Para 'di ka uncomfy if ever mapag-decide mo na mag-move in ka."
PRESENT — Garden Bench, Still
"You don't have to say anything now," he said, voice softer. "But you've been gone. And I feel like I'm still on chapter five while you're already finishing the sequel."
"Wala namang sequel," I said. "Same mess. Mas konting tulog nga lang."
He looked at me then. Fully. With that stare that didn't ask, didn't push—just noticed.
"You know what would help?" he asked, casually.
"What?"
"If you moved in."
I choked on my drink. "What?"
I blinked. He remembered.
"You don't have to," he said. "It's just... if you want quiet. Or company. Or both."
Silence.
That kind of silence where everything wants to spill but nothing dares to.
Sunday — 1:06 AM,
Loui's Condo, Makati
I couldn't sleep.
Not because of the invitation.
But because it didn't feel like one.
It felt like a soft landing. Like someone laying out a map when you didn't even know you were lost.
"Some people don't ask for closeness. They offer space beside them—and wait to see if you'll choose to stay." -Kahlil Loui Solis
YOU ARE READING
Can't Really Explain It
RomanceOne random favor, one small moment-and suddenly, I'm caught in someone else's story. Maybe even starting one of my own. What happens when something quiet turns into shared umbrellas, inside jokes, and heartbeats you pretend not to notice? A slowburn...
