The Weight Between Us

Chapter 4 — Things People Don’t Say Out Loud

For three days, Jerinah Lopez avoided the park.

She told herself it did not matter.

It was just a random guy she met by coincidence. Someone she barely knew. Someone she should not care about.

So why did she keep thinking about him?

Every night, her mind replayed their argument repeatedly.

You never experienced losing someone anyway.

The guilt sat heavily inside her chest.

She did not even know if what she said was true.

But anger had always spoken faster than pain.

Meanwhile, Drecel Suarez kept returning to the park at the same hour every afternoon.

Not because he expected her to come back.

But because part of him hoped she would.

On the fourth day, Jerinah finally appeared again.

The moment she saw him sitting on their usual bench, she almost turned around immediately.

But Drecel noticed her already.

Their eyes met awkwardly.

Neither moved for several seconds.

Then Drecel spoke first.

“You disappeared.”

Jerinah crossed her arms. “You noticed.”

“You’re dramatic.”

“You’re annoying.”

A small smile almost appeared on his face.

Almost.

Jerinah slowly sat on the far side of the bench, leaving noticeable distance between them.

The air felt tense.

“I’m not here to argue,” she muttered.

“Good. Me neither.”

Silence followed.

Then Drecel suddenly asked, “Why do you push people away before they can understand you?”

Jerinah looked at him sharply.

“You think you understand me now?”

“No,” he answered honestly. “But I think you want people to leave before they get too close.”

His calmness irritated her sometimes.

“You really analyze everything, no?”

“You really avoid answering questions.”

She looked away immediately.

Drecel sighed quietly before leaning back against the bench.

“When you said I never lost someone,” he started softly, “you were wrong.”

Jerinah froze slightly.

“My grandfather raised me most of my childhood,” he continued. “He died two years ago.”

Her expression slowly changed.

“He was the smartest person I knew. Calm. Patient. Always knew what to say.” Drecel gave a small laugh. “Probably why I became obsessed with wisdom quotes after he died.”

Jerinah stayed silent.

“When he died,” he added, “I got angry too. At everyone.”

The wind moved gently between them.

For the first time, Jerinah realized Drecel’s calmness was not because he never suffered.

Maybe it was because he suffered differently.

“I didn’t know,” she admitted quietly.

“You never asked.”

That stung.

Because he was right.

Jerinah lowered her head slightly. “I’m not good at talking about things.”

“I noticed.”

“Sometimes I don’t even understand myself.”

Drecel nodded slowly. “That’s normal.”

“No it’s not.”

“It is.”

Jerinah laughed weakly. “You always say things like you already solved life.”

“I haven’t,” he answered. “I just try not to drown in it.”

The honesty in his voice surprised her.

For a moment, they simply listened to the sound of leaves moving overhead.

Then Jerinah finally spoke again.

“Some days,” she whispered, “I wake up already tired.”

Drecel stayed quiet, allowing her to continue.

“And sometimes I hate myself for it because other people have bigger problems.” Her voice cracked slightly. “But it still hurts anyway.”

“That doesn’t make your pain less real.”

She looked down at her hands.

“I almost…” She stopped herself.

Drecel glanced at her carefully.

“You almost what?”

Jerinah swallowed hard before shaking her head. “Nothing.”

But he understood enough from her expression alone.

And suddenly, the argument from days ago no longer felt important.

“You don’t have to explain everything immediately,” he said softly.

“Then why are you still here?”

Drecel looked at her for a few seconds before answering.

“Because people don’t heal by being abandoned.”

That sentence hit harder than she expected.

Jerinah quickly looked away before tears could form.

She hated crying in front of others.

Especially him.

“You know what your problem is?” she asked quietly.

“What?”

“You always say the right thing at the worst time.”

Drecel laughed softly.

And somehow, for the first time in weeks, the heaviness inside Jerinah’s chest felt slightly lighter.