Silence Was Worse Than Rejection

I didn’t mean to fall for Noah. It just happened—quietly. Coffee breaks, shared jokes,

Thursdays that felt like ours even if we never said it. Then Julian showed up.

Confident. Easy. The kind of guy who didn’t hesitate to flirt.

I watched Noah laugh with him, lean closer, say yes to a gallery invite.

It felt like losing something I’d never claimed. That night, I realized silence

was worse than rejection. After closing, I told Noah everything—how long I’d loved him, how he felt like

home. My hands shook, but I didn’t stop. The next day, Noah chose me.

He said he wanted something real, not loud. When he kissed me, it was gentle,