The campus was quieter than usual that evening. Most students had scattered off to their hostels, others heading to the cafeteria or gathering at the common grounds. The sky was painted in shades of orange and purple as the sun slid beneath the horizon.
Dav sat on a concrete bench near the library, restless, his mind turning in circles. The confrontation earlier in the day still played in his head his grip on Ruth's hand, his desperate question, the way her eyes flickered with something she wouldn't say aloud.
He couldn't leave it there. Not when the weight of it gnawed at him, not when the silence between them felt heavier than any words could be.
So, when Ruth's figure appeared at the end of the pathway, Dav stood immediately. She was walking slowly, hugging her books to her chest, her face unreadable. When her eyes caught his, she hesitated, then approached.
"Dav," she said softly, almost like a question.
"Ruth," he replied, his voice steady but tense. He gestured toward the bench. "Sit. Please."
She hesitated again, then lowered herself beside him, placing her books carefully on her lap. For a long moment, neither spoke. The sound of distant laughter and chirping crickets filled the silence between them.
Finally, Dav broke it.
"Ruth, I need to ask you something. And I need you to be honest with me. No holding back this time."
Her fingers tightened around the edge of her books. "Alright," she said cautiously.
He turned to face her, his eyes locking on hers. "Do you have feelings for Brown?"
The question hung heavy in the air, more than words it was a plea, a demand, a fear wrapped in one.
Ruth inhaled sharply, caught off guard by his directness. She looked away, her gaze dropping to the ground. "Dav…"
"Answer me," he pressed, his tone firmer now. "Do you like him? Because if you do, then at least I'll know. At least I'll stop torturing myself with the thought."
Her chest rose and fell as she searched for words. "No," she said finally, her voice quiet but clear. "I don't have feelings for Brown."
Relief washed over Dav, but only for a moment. The tension in his chest didn't disappear. "Then why?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly. "Why have you been pulling away from me? We hardly hang out anymore. Every time I see you, he's there. And it feels like you're… avoiding me."
Ruth swallowed, her eyes glistening. "I wasn't avoiding you, Dav. At least, not the way you think."
"Then what way?" he demanded.
She turned her face to him then, her eyes shining with emotions she had tried so hard to hide. "Because it's confusing, Dav. Being around you… it's not the same anymore. I didn't know how to handle it, so I thought giving space would help. But it hasn't. It's only made things harder."
Dav's heart pounded. "Confusing how?"
Ruth hesitated, biting her lip. "Because when Brown started showing interest in me, I thought maybe it would distract me. Maybe it would help me figure out what I really wanted. But every time he's there, all I can think about is… you."
The words hit him like a wave. He stared at her, unable to move, unable to speak.
She looked down quickly, embarrassed by her own admission. "That's why I've been distant. Not because I want him, but because I don't know what to do with what I feel when I'm around you. It scares me, Dav. Because you're my closest friend. And if I lose you…" Her voice trembled. "If I lose you, I don't know what I'd do."
Dav's throat tightened. For so long, he had buried his feelings, convinced himself they were nothing more than friendship. But hearing her voice tremble, hearing her admit she thought of him even when another was in the picture it unraveled every wall he had built.
Slowly, he reached out and placed his hand over hers. She flinched at first, then relaxed, her fingers curling slightly into his.
"You won't lose me, Ruth," he said softly, his voice low but steady. "But I need you to understand something. Watching Brown chase you, watching you smile at him, even if it's just politeness it's been killing me. Because I…" He paused, his chest tightening. "Because I feel something too. And I've been too much of a coward to admit it."
Ruth's eyes widened, her lips parting.
"I thought I could stay quiet," Dav continued, his voice raw. "I thought if I just kept pretending, it would pass. But it hasn't. And when I saw you with him today, I realized I can't stay silent anymore."
The silence between them was different now not heavy, but fragile, trembling with everything unsaid.
Ruth's hand trembled beneath his, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she whispered, "Dav… do you really mean that?"
He met her gaze, unwavering. "Every word."
Her eyes softened, and for the first time in weeks, she felt the weight lift off her chest. But fear still lingered. "What if this ruins us?" she asked quietly. "What if we can't go back to being friends?"
Dav shook his head gently. "Ruth, I don't want to go back. Not if it means pretending. Not if it means watching someone else stand where I want to be."
Her heart hammered, torn between relief and terror, but deep down, she knew she felt the same. She had always known.
The evening air grew colder, the first stars peeking through the fading sky. Neither of them moved, both locked in a moment that felt like the beginning of something they had been circling for far too long.
For the first time, the truth was no longer buried. And though neither of them knew where it would lead, one thing was certain things could never return to the way they had been.