Chapter 13: Unspoken Truth

For a moment, the world seemed to tilt on its axis. I blinked, staring at Matt, the man who I thought I knew. His face, illuminated by the dim glow of the dashboard, was calm and composed as if he hadn't just dropped a bombshell. My mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of reality that were shattering around me.

"You can talk?" I repeated my voice barely a whisper.

Matt nodded slowly. His fingers moved over his phone screen, but I reached out and grabbed his hand before he could show me another message.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" I asked, my voice cracking. "Why did you pretend to be mute?"

He hesitated, his eyes flickering with an emotion I couldn't quite place. Then, with a deep sigh, he began to speak, his voice rough and gravelly, each word clearly causing him discomfort. "I didn't pretend," he said, his voice barely audible. "I chose not to speak."

His words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken truths. I felt a shiver run down my spine. "But why?" I asked softly. "Why would you choose not to speak?"

Matt looked down, his expression troubled. "It's because of my throat," he said slowly. "It was damaged a long time ago. My voice... it never fully healed. Speaking is painful, and my voice... it's unpleasant to hear."

I stared at him, trying to wrap my mind around what he was saying. "But you're talking now," I said softly. "Why now?"

His gaze met mine, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes. "Because of you," he said simply. "Something about you made me want to try. I wanted to be honest with you, to show you who I really am."

'It really is scary'

"It's okay you can type on your phone since it hurts" I stopped him before he could continue. His crinkled brows giveaway the pain he was trying to hide.

Tears welled up in my eyes again, but this time they were tears of a different kind. Relief, confusion, and a strange sense of connection washed over me. "But why didn't you tell me?" I asked again, my voice trembling.

[I was afraid] he admitted, this time typing his word and showing me his phone screen.

 He typed away furiously and then showed,

[Afraid that you would see me differently, that you would be repulsed by my voice. And then, when I finally found the courage to speak, I didn't know how to tell you without scaring you away.] 

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my emotions. "Matt, you should have trusted me," I said gently. "I care about you. This doesn't change that."

"If I was still willing to follow you after the kidnapping fiasco, which I'm almost sure you have something to do with, you should know that your voice wouldn't deter me. Heck, I didn't even report you to the police!" I exclaimed

He looked at me with a mixture of hope and uncertainty. 

[I know. And I'm sorry. I should have been honest with you from the start.]

We sat in silence for a few moments, the air thick with the weight of our conversation. Finally, I spoke again. "I need some time to process this," I said softly. " I was determined to, but I really don't want to end things between us. I just need to understand."

He nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. 

[Take all the time you need] 

[I'm not going anywhere.]

I nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. "Thank you, Matt. For everything."

He reached out and took my hand, squeezing it gently. 

"No, thank you," he said. His voice still strained, "For giving me a chance."

As we sat in silence, I couldn't help but feel that this was the beginning of a great relationship.

'Passenger said it the best, You only know you love'em when you let'em go….even when you never really had'em….ooh"

 One built on honesty and trust. As the city lights flickered outside the window, I felt a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, we could make this work.

'Unlike the fake relationship I had going on in my head, this one was real…maybe, I guess I'll see.'