Cole was trying to flirt, and I could totally y dumb and Ignore him, but meeting Thorsten couldn’t


    wait.


    Still, him texting thiste wasn’t a great sign. If I replied now, he might use it as an excuse to ask for


    something else. And if I said no, he could use it as an excuse to back out of our deal to meet his


    dad.


    The best move? Do what I didst night and just leave him on read.


    I tuned back into my conversation with Lena, who was saying something I’d obviously missed


    because now she was asking. “So you two made it official and that’s it? No next steps?”


    “What next steps?” I asked, still half–distracted by Cole’s texts.


    “What do you think I mean? The next step in a rtionship. Obviously, I’m talking about that,” Lena


    said, her voice dripping with mischief.


    I caught en immediately. “Hayden’s a gentleman, okay?”


    “Gentleman or not, he’s still human, isn’t he? He’s gotta have desires. Or is he just not interested st


    in, you know, doing his part to solve the poption crisis?” Lena shot back. Then she sighed and


    said, remember, Jace was a ‘gentleman‘ too.”


    I went silent. She must’ve realized she’d hit a nerve because she quickly added, “I didn’t mean


    anything by it. I just wanted to say, when people are in love, there’s this rush of dopamine. It boosts


    adrenaline and makes them crave, um, physical closeness.”


    She was using her knowledge to break down love, adding, “Basically, if a guy really loves you, he’ll


    feel that urge to be with you, physically. If he doesn’t, or if he can hold back without a problem, then


    there’s a good chance he’s just not that into you.”


    I thought back to all those years with Jace. To everyone else, we were basically a couple, but the


    closest we ever got was holding hands or those awkward side hugs–except for that one time we


    made out, right before Tanya called and totally ruined it.


    It felt like he just wasn’t that into me.


    I used to think he was just being respectful, like some kind of modern–day knight or whatever.


    Sometimes, I’d even wonder if it was because I wasn’t, I don’t know, attractive


    enough.


    But now, after Lena’s little analysis, I realized: he just didn’t love me enough.


    And yeah, Jace did tell me once that he wasn’t interested in me like that because we were “too


    familiar.”


    “Rea, does Hayden ever show he wants to get closer to you? Or does he just not want to let you


    go?” Lena asked.


    I thought about how we’d stood there at my door, wrapped up in each other, neither of us wanting to


    be the first to let go..


    “Of course he does. But he’s, like, respectful. He keeps things, you know, appropriate,” I said, trying


    to convince myself as much as her. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    “Please!” Lena scoffed. “If a guy’s really into you, like really loves you, he’d want to merge with you


    or something, make you a part of him.”


    I felt my throat tighten. I walked further into the kitchen, grabbed a ss of water, and took a sip.


    “Wow, didn’t know you were such an expert on love.”


    Lena caught the teasing in my voice. “I’m just looking out for you. I don’t want you to miss out


    something good. Hayden’s got principles, but you can totally take the lead.”


    I groaned, almost choking on my water. “Wait, so you want me to seduce him now?”


    I rolled my eyes, even though she couldn’t see it. “Why can’t I just have a pure, genuine


    rtionship? Why do I have to, like, use my looks to get him?”


    “That’s not what I’m saying.” Lena said, sighing. “It’s just, a guy like Hayden isn’t going to stay single


    forever. If you don’t make a move, someone else will.”


    I hadn’t realized she was so invested in my love life.


    “You know the saying: a man who just wants to sleep with you doesn’t necessarily love you, but a


    man who loves you will definitely want to sleep with you,” Lena finished with that final, all–knowing


    tone, like she’d just dropped some profound wisdom bomb.


    I mean, I wasn’t exactly new to rtionships. I’d been with Jace long enough to know how things


    worked. “But true love isn’t just about physical stuff,” I argued.


    “Yeah, but desire’s a part of it,” Lena insisted.


    I hadn’t really thought about it before, but now I was reying all my time alone with Hayden in my


    head. We’d hung out together so many times, and, well, nothing had happened.


    I mean, I know I’m attractive, and I know he likes me. So why hadn’t he made a move?


    Was it possible I’d found another guy who wasn’t really into me?


    Seriously, that would be beyond bad luck.


    I felt this sudden urge to test Hayden, see if Lena was right. But how was I supposed to make the


    first move like she suggested?