Hearing Lena’s words, I couldn’t help but feel a bit sad inside.


    She’d had this secret crush on Nate forever, and if I hadn’t nudged her, she probably would’ve kept


    it bottled up.


    But Nate… the way he responded was so blunt, like he wasn’t even trying to spare her feelings. If


    he wasn’t into her, fine, but did he really have to be that harsh?


    I was just about to step in and defuse the tension when Nate Interrupted Lena again, his voice


    steady but firm. “I’m not bothered by the trouble, and besides, you’re only allowed to trouble me.”


    Wait, what?


    I blinked, totally confused. And by the look on Lena’s face, she was just as lost.


    “Nate-”


    But Nate cut Lena off again. “Didn’t you say you liked me?”


    She froze.


    “If you like me,” Nate continued, “then why are you letting other guys give you attention? Why are


    you epting someone else’s affection?”


    Oh. My. God.


    It finally clicked–he was jealous. Like, straight–up, out–in–the–open jealous.


    Was this his way of confessing? Because if so, wow, dude was not messing around.


    Suddenly, I felt this surge of excitement run through me


    I nced at Lena. She looked like she was short–circuiting. “N–Nate, are you saying… are you


    jealous?”


    Girl, seriously? Isn’t it obvious?


    “Yes,” Nate said, totally unbothered. “If you like me, then you can only like me. No half–hearted


    stuff.”


    Wow, Nate was maybe even more direct than Hayden.


    Lena swallowed nervously. “I do like you, but… you never said you liked me, so I thought…”


    She trailed off, clearly scrambling for words.


    “I never said I didn’t like you,” Nate replied,pletely confident,


    Boom. There it was. He liked her. I knew it!


    Lena stood there, totally frozen, but you could tell Nate’s confession had her spinning. “Nate…”


    “Lena,” he said, diving even deeper, “I’ve liked you for longer than you’ve liked me.”


    My heart practically did a happy dance. My fists clenched as I silently cheered for Lena This was it–


    her moment! She should be leaping into his arms right about now.


    But… nothing.


    Lena just stood there. Silent. Not moving at all.


    Was she that shocked?


    The awkward silence dragged on for what felt like forever. I was about to jump in and save the


    situation when Nate spoke again, clearly getting impatient. “Lena, why aren’t you saying anything?”


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    “Oh. Got it,” she finally replied, totally calm.


    I almost face–palmed.


    Was this the Lena I knew? Or did she somehow morph Into Hayden? Because that response was


    peak Hayden energy.


    She had to be overwhelmed. That was the only exnation.


    I was worried Nate would get frustrated or mad, but instead, he smiled and said, “You’re my


    girlfriend now. That means you can only ept flowers from me and eat the food I send you.”


    Lena nodded, still in that dazed, robotic way. “Got it.”


    I was floored.


    I had just witnessed tw


    history.


    art people deliver the most awkward, low–energy rtionship confession in


    At this point, I wondered if my standing there was making it harder for them to be themselves. So, I


    decided to slip out, quietly.


    But, as soon as I stepped out of the office, I walked right into a firm, very muscr chest.