Almost Love, Then Everything - Chapter 34: Chapter 34
You are reading Almost Love, Then Everything, Chapter 34: Chapter 34. Read more chapters of Almost Love, Then Everything.
("Some conversations are spoken with glances.
Some love stories unfold in the pauses.")
The sky outside had turned soft gray, the kind of overcast that made the world feel muted—like everything was wrapped in cotton. The rain hadn’t started yet, but the air carried the scent of it. Anticipation. Stillness. Something just on the edge of falling.
Inside Jade’s apartment, Leah sat on the couch with her knees pulled to her chest, one of Jade’s old sweatshirts draped over her frame. Jade was in the kitchen, barefoot, quiet, making tea like it was a ritual.
Neither of them had said a word in the last ten minutes.
And yet…
It didn’t feel empty.
It felt full.
Jade walked over and handed Leah her favorite mug—the one with the tiny chipped rim and the words “stay soft” barely faded on the side. Leah took it with a soft smile and nodded in thanks, and Jade sat beside her, tucking one leg underneath herself.
Still no words.
Just sips of warmth.
Just closeness.
Leah turned her head slightly, watching Jade. Noticing the way her fingers curled around her own mug. The way her eyes stayed forward, focused on the window, but softened when Leah looked at her.
So much had changed between them.
And yet… so much hadn’t needed to be said.
Jade didn’t ask for Leah to open up.
Didn’t prod at the quiet.
Didn’t try to fill the space.
She just was.
And somehow, Leah found herself speaking without needing to make sound.
A glance. A soft shift. A breath held longer than usual.
And Jade heard all of it.
After a while, Jade reached over and rested her hand gently on Leah’s.
It wasn’t an offer.
It wasn’t a request.
It was a reminder.
I’m here.
You don’t have to talk.
I hear you anyway.
And Leah, who had spent so much of her life trying to explain herself to people who never listened—finally felt seen by someone who didn’t need her to speak to understand.
There is a kind of love that speaks fluent silence.
It hears the tremble in your exhale.
It feels the apology in your palm.
It answers questions you never asked out loud.
Some love stories unfold in the pauses.")
The sky outside had turned soft gray, the kind of overcast that made the world feel muted—like everything was wrapped in cotton. The rain hadn’t started yet, but the air carried the scent of it. Anticipation. Stillness. Something just on the edge of falling.
Inside Jade’s apartment, Leah sat on the couch with her knees pulled to her chest, one of Jade’s old sweatshirts draped over her frame. Jade was in the kitchen, barefoot, quiet, making tea like it was a ritual.
Neither of them had said a word in the last ten minutes.
And yet…
It didn’t feel empty.
It felt full.
Jade walked over and handed Leah her favorite mug—the one with the tiny chipped rim and the words “stay soft” barely faded on the side. Leah took it with a soft smile and nodded in thanks, and Jade sat beside her, tucking one leg underneath herself.
Still no words.
Just sips of warmth.
Just closeness.
Leah turned her head slightly, watching Jade. Noticing the way her fingers curled around her own mug. The way her eyes stayed forward, focused on the window, but softened when Leah looked at her.
So much had changed between them.
And yet… so much hadn’t needed to be said.
Jade didn’t ask for Leah to open up.
Didn’t prod at the quiet.
Didn’t try to fill the space.
She just was.
And somehow, Leah found herself speaking without needing to make sound.
A glance. A soft shift. A breath held longer than usual.
And Jade heard all of it.
After a while, Jade reached over and rested her hand gently on Leah’s.
It wasn’t an offer.
It wasn’t a request.
It was a reminder.
I’m here.
You don’t have to talk.
I hear you anyway.
And Leah, who had spent so much of her life trying to explain herself to people who never listened—finally felt seen by someone who didn’t need her to speak to understand.
There is a kind of love that speaks fluent silence.
It hears the tremble in your exhale.
It feels the apology in your palm.
It answers questions you never asked out loud.
End of Almost Love, Then Everything Chapter 34. Continue reading Chapter 35 or return to Almost Love, Then Everything book page.