Bro innocently asked why she didn’t like him
The rain tapped a melancholic rhythm on the coffee shop windowpane, mirroring the rhythm of Liam's heart. Across from him sat Sarah, her smile strained at the edges. They'd been friends since childhood, their bond as comfortable as an old sweater. Now, Liam was a shivering mess, the sweater discarded, vulnerability laid bare.
He'd confessed his feelings a week ago, a clumsy eruption of emotions he couldn't hold back any longer. Sarah, to his utter shock, had said no. It wasn't a cruel rejection, but a gentle one, filled with regret. Since then, a storm of questions had brewed inside him. Finally, unable to contain it any longer, he blurted, "Bro, honestly, why not?"
Sarah flinched at the informality, a reminder of the shift in their dynamic. "Liam," she said, her voice soft, "it's not that simple."
Liam kicked himself mentally for the flippant address. "Yeah, I know," he mumbled, taking a shaky breath. "I guess I just... I don't understand. We've been friends forever."
Sarah sighed, her gaze drifting out the window. "That's the thing," she began, "we are friends. Great friends. But sometimes, seeing someone as a friend makes it hard to see them as anything else."
Liam frowned. "But why? Couldn't it, you know, change?"
Sarah chuckled, a humorless sound. "Maybe for some people. But for me, seeing you as my confidante, the one person I tell everything to, the shoulder I cry on... it's hard to picture you in a romantic light."
Liam felt a pang of something akin to betrayal. Was he just her emotional crutch? "But wouldn't you want that in a partner? Someone you can be yourself with?"
"Absolutely," Sarah agreed. "But there also needs to be... a spark, you know? That butterflies-in-your-stomach kind of feeling."
Liam's stomach felt more like a lead weight. "Never felt that with me, huh?"
She winced. "It's not that you're not amazing, Liam. You're kind, funny, loyal... everything you should be. But for me, the excitement just isn't there."
A silence descended, heavy with unspoken words. Liam wanted to argue, to convince her to see him differently. But something in Sarah's eyes held a truth he couldn't deny.
"So," he finally said, voice thick, "that's it then?"
Sarah reached across the table, her touch light on his hand. "It doesn't have to be the end of our friendship," she said earnestly. "I just need some time to adjust."
Liam nodded, the hurt a dull ache in his chest. He knew she was right, but the thought of their friendship changing, tainted by his unrequited feelings, was a scary prospect.
"Yeah, I know," he managed, forcing a smile.
They sat in silence for a while longer, the rain outside mirroring the storm within Liam. As they got ready to leave, Sarah squeezed his hand gently. "Thank you for being honest, Liam," she said. "It means a lot."
He nodded again, the lump in his throat making speech difficult. Outside, the rain had stopped, leaving behind a world washed clean. But for Liam, the cleansing rain would take a lot longer to reach his heart.
The walk back to his apartment was a blur. He replayed the conversation in his head, searching for some hidden meaning, some glimmer of hope. But Sarah's words were clear: they were friends, and that, for her, was the limit.
As he reached his door, a familiar wave of despair washed over him. Yet, a tiny seed of acceptance sprouted within him. Sarah was right. He cared about her too much to force something that wasn't there. Maybe, with time, the pain would dull, and their friendship could find a new equilibrium.
Liam unlocked the door, stepping into the cool darkness of his apartment. He knew the road ahead wouldn't be easy, but for the first time since Sarah's rejection, a flicker of hope danced in the darkness. He might not have gotten the answer he wanted, but at least he had his honesty, and the chance to rebuild his heart, one piece at a time.
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