The Promises in Silence( BL)

Chapter 7: The Distance Between Us

As the taxi pulled away from the orphanage, Caleb couldn't block out the sound of Preston's cries. They echoed in his ears, relentless and raw, tearing at his heart. He clenched his fists, his head leaning against the cool glass of the window as he watched the familiar streets blur into the distance. His chest tightened with every second that carried him farther away.

Then, as the taxi turned the corner, he saw it. Preston. Running after the car, his small legs struggling to keep up, his arms flailing in desperation. Caleb's breath hitched, and his vision blurred with tears he didn't realize he was shedding.

The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked, his voice kind but cautious.

For a moment, Caleb hesitated. Every instinct screamed at him to say yes, to jump out and scoop Preston into his arms, to reassure him that he wasn't truly leaving. But he knew better. If he went back now, he would never be able to leave.

"No," Caleb said, his voice barely audible. "Just… drive faster."

The driver nodded, and the taxi sped up. Caleb turned back one last time, watching as Preston slowed to a halt, his small figure shrinking into the distance. He could still see the way Preston collapsed to his knees, his hands covering his face as his cries grew fainter and fainter.

Once they hit the highway, Caleb broke down completely. He buried his face in his hands, letting the sobs he had been holding back spill out. The driver didn't say anything, giving him the space to grieve in silence.

It wasn't just Preston struggling to let go—Caleb felt the same ache, the same unbearable emptiness. He had spent so many years protecting and caring for Preston that the boy had become his entire world. Now, without him, Caleb felt like he'd lost a part of himself.

As the city skyline came into view, Caleb wiped his face with trembling hands, trying to pull himself together. But the ache in his chest remained, heavy and unrelenting. His thoughts drifted back to Preston, and for the first time, Caleb admitted to himself what he had been trying to deny for so long.

This wasn't just ordinary love. It wasn't just the bond of a big brother or a guardian. What Caleb felt for Preston ran deeper, more intense than he could explain. It was the way Preston's smile could brighten his darkest days, the way his laughter was like music, the way his touch sent warmth through his entire being. Caleb had never felt this way about anyone before, and it terrified him.

He had tried to understand it, to rationalize it. Late at night, when Preston was asleep, Caleb would lie awake, his mind spinning with questions he couldn't answer. He had searched online, typing phrases like "why do I feel so much for someone like me" or "can love be between two boys?" into the search bar. The results had opened his eyes to a part of himself he hadn't understood until now.

Caleb knew he was gay for this boy. He had come to terms with that over the years, though he had never told anyone. But what he felt for Preston wasn't just about being gay—it was about him. This one boy who had become his everything.

And yet, Caleb also knew the truth: Preston didn't feel the same way. For Preston, Caleb was family. The closest thing he had to stability and love in this world . Preston's tears, his clinging, his desperation—they weren't signs of romantic feelings. They were the cries of a boy who didn't want to lose his safety.

Caleb closed his eyes, leaning back against the seat as the taxi sped forward.

But even as he told himself that, Caleb couldn't deny the truth burning in his heart. He loved Preston—deeply, painfully, and completely. And that love would follow him, no matter how far he went.