Please note that Tapas no longer supports Internet Explorer.
We recommend upgrading to the latest Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Firefox.
Home
Comics
Novels
Community
Mature
More
Help Discord Forums Newsfeed Contact Merch Shop
Publish
Home
Comics
Novels
Community
Mature
More
Help Discord Forums Newsfeed Contact Merch Shop
__anonymous__
__anonymous__
0
  • Publish
  • Ink shop
  • Redeem code
  • Settings
  • Log out

Once Silence Learned to Love

Chapter 15 The Words That Almost Escaped

Chapter 15 The Words That Almost Escaped

Mar 10, 2026

The night after their strange conversation felt unusually long.
Neither of them slept well.
She kept replaying the moment outside the café in her mind—the way he paused before answering, the way his eyes briefly avoided hers, as if there was something he wanted to say but couldn't.
Silence had always been a comfortable space between them.
But now, it felt like a wall.
Early the next morning, the city woke up under a pale grey sky. The streets were still quiet, and the air carried that calm freshness that only existed before the rush of the day began.
She stood by her window, holding a cup of tea that had already gone cold.
Her mind was busy.
She wondered if she had asked too much the night before. Maybe she had pushed the conversation into a place he wasn't ready to enter.
Or maybe he simply didn't feel the same things she was starting to feel.
The thought made her chest tighten.
Meanwhile, across the city, he was also lost in thought.
Sitting at his desk, he stared at his phone. Their chat window was open, the last message from her still visible.
He had typed several replies since morning.
But every time he wrote something, he erased it.
Some feelings are easy to understand but extremely difficult to express.
And he feared that if he said the wrong thing, everything between them might change.
Still, the silence between them after yesterday’s conversation felt heavier than usual.
Finally, he typed a simple message.
"Did you reach home safely last night?"
It wasn’t what he really wanted to say.
But it was safe.
A few seconds later, the message was delivered.
When her phone vibrated, she immediately looked at the screen.
For a moment, she just stared at his message.
A small smile appeared on her face, but it carried a hint of disappointment.
After everything that had happened, she had secretly hoped he would say something deeper.
Still, she replied.
"Yes, I did. Thank you for asking."
Then she paused.
Her fingers hovered above the keyboard as if they wanted to add something more.
But she stopped.
The conversation ended there.
Later that afternoon, they both found themselves walking through the same park where they had spent many evenings talking about random things—dreams, memories, fears, and sometimes nothing at all.
It was the place where their connection had slowly grown.
Today, however, the atmosphere felt different.
When he saw her standing near the old wooden bench, he hesitated for a moment before approaching.
She turned when she heard his footsteps.
For a second, neither of them spoke.
Then he said softly,
“Hi.”
“Hi,” she replied.
They sat down on the bench, leaving a small distance between them.
The park was quiet, except for the distant sound of children playing and the gentle rustling of leaves in the wind.
He looked at her.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said yesterday.”
Her heart skipped slightly.
“And?” she asked.
He exhaled slowly.
“I think… sometimes silence exists because people are afraid.”
“Afraid of what?” she asked.
“Of saying something that might change everything.”
His answer surprised her.
Because it sounded honest.
For the first time in a while, she felt that he was not hiding behind safe words.
“Do you think change is always bad?” she asked quietly.
He looked at the sky for a moment before replying.
“No… but it can be risky.”
“Life is risky,” she said with a faint smile.
He laughed softly.
“That’s true.”
For a moment, the tension between them eased.
But the real question still remained unspoken.
She looked at him carefully.
“You know,” she said, “sometimes I feel like we are both standing at the edge of a conversation we never finish.”
He nodded slowly.
“Maybe we’re waiting for the right moment.”
“And what if the right moment never comes?” she asked.
Her words hung in the air.
This time, he didn’t look away.
Instead, he looked directly into her eyes.
And for a brief moment, it felt like he was finally ready to say what had been buried inside his heart for weeks.
His lips parted slightly.
But before the words could escape, a loud sound interrupted them.
A group of teenagers ran past the bench, laughing loudly and breaking the fragile silence between them.
The moment disappeared.
He looked away again.
And whatever he was about to say… remained unsaid.
She noticed the hesitation.
And deep down, she felt both relief and disappointment.
Because a part of her was ready to hear the truth.
Even if it changed everything.
The sun slowly began to set behind the trees, painting the sky with shades of orange and gold.
As the evening grew darker, they realized it was time to leave.
When they stood up, the air between them still carried the weight of unfinished words.
Before walking away, she turned to him and said quietly,
“Maybe some conversations take time.”
He nodded.
“Yes… but sometimes waiting too long can make the words disappear.”
They both knew he wasn’t talking about ordinary words.
Then they walked in opposite directions again.
But this time, something had shifted.
Because today, the truth had come closer than ever before.
And sooner or later…
one of them would have to say it.

If you were in their place, would you wait for the right moment to confess your feelings…
or would you say everything before the moment slips away forever?

If you enjoyed this chapter, please subscribe to the series so you don’t miss the next episode. Your support really motivates me to keep writing!
misssahu08
silent verse

Creator

Some love stories are not loud.
They grow in silence, breathe in pauses,
and hurt in ways words can’t explain.
Once Silence Learned to Love is a story of two souls
who met without promises,
but stayed because silence understood them better than words ever could.

Comments (2)

See all
silent verse
silent verse

Top comment

If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider subscribing to support the story. Your feedback and ideas are always welcome!

0

Add a comment

Recommendation for you

  • Arna (GL)

    Recommendation

    Arna (GL)

    Fantasy 5.7k likes

  • Depths

    Recommendation

    Depths

    Science fiction 302 likes

  • Primalcraft: Sins of Bygone Days

    Recommendation

    Primalcraft: Sins of Bygone Days

    BL 3.5k likes

  • Silence | book 2

    Recommendation

    Silence | book 2

    LGBTQ+ 33.2k likes

  • The Sum of our Parts

    Recommendation

    The Sum of our Parts

    BL 8.9k likes

  • Invisible Boy

    Recommendation

    Invisible Boy

    LGBTQ+ 11.6k likes

  • feeling lucky

    Feeling lucky

    Random series you may like

Once Silence Learned to Love
Once Silence Learned to Love

1.5k views1 subscriber

Some love stories are not loud.
They grow in silence, breathe in pauses,
and hurt in ways words can’t explain.
Once Silence Learned to Love is a story of two souls
who met without promises,
but stayed because silence understood them better than words ever could.
Subscribe

52 episodes

Chapter 15 The Words That Almost Escaped

Chapter 15 The Words That Almost Escaped

48 views 1 like 2 comments


Style
More
Like
List
Comment

Prev
Next

Full
Exit
1
2
Prev
Next