Page 2

The movements are more clear. I can feel hot breath tickling my throat. What’s he doing? Suddenly, it gets hotter. My eyes open and find him on top of me. My heart starts to race, hoping he doesn’t notice. He’s covered with a blanket and he’s asleep. Is he?

“Hayden..?”

“Mmm..?” His voice is soft and groggy. He’s definitely half asleep.

“What’re you doing?”

“Sleeping.” He mumbled into my body, his voice was raspy and sleepy. I didn’t know what to do.

I closed my eyes and the second i opened them again, it was morning. The sun was shining on my face and Hayden was still sleeping on me. I can hear is soft and calm breathing. He looks so peaceful and calm.

The door opens and some of his friends walk inside while talking loudly causing Hayden to stir.

“Hayden..” I whisper to him, gently shaking his shoulder.

“mm….” His soft “mmm” made me sigh. He didn’t wanna wake up.

“Hayden, your friends are here.” I whisper back.

His eyes slightly open and he picks up his head. He sees his friends in the kitchen and realizes that he was supposed to hang out with them. He groans and buries his face back onto me.

“What’re you doing?? Hayden!”

“I wanna sleep.” He murmured.

“But your friends—“

“Dude..” His friend Michael raises an eyebrow. He smirks and takes a photo. He whispers to his other friends and they all leave the house.

I sighed, wrapping my arms around Hayden and rubbing his back lightly. He was like a child refusing to wake up.

"Hayden," I said again, my voice still soft, "Your friends came all the way over here to hang out. You gotta wake up."

He groaned slightly and burrowed his face further into my body. I couldn't help but chuckle at his childish behavior.

I ran my fingers through his hair, "Come on, sleepyhead. It's time to wake up."

He mumbled something indecipherable into my chest, holding me closer. God, he can be so stubborn sometimes.

"Hayden," I said, my tone now a little firmer, "Your friends are waiting outside."

He finally lifted his head, rubbing his eyes. "They can wait," he muttered sleepily, nuzzling his face into my neck.

I rolled my eyes, unable to suppress my grin. Despite his stubbornness, there was something cute about how clingy he could be when he was half-asleep.

"You can't just keep them waiting forever," I laughed gently. "Come on, get up."

"Fiiiinneee." He groaned, slowly untangling himself from me.

He sat up, his hair tousled and his eyes bleary. I suppressed a laugh, seeing his usually put-together demeanor replaced by a rumpled, groggy mess. Still, he looked adorable.

"You look like a little kid," I teased, trying to hold back my laughter.

He shot me a mock glare and ran a hand through his messy hair. "I don't appreciate your snarky comments," he said, his voice still rough from sleep. "I'm perfectly fine, you don't have to say I look terrible."

"Oh, come on," I smirked, sitting up as well, "You're being dramatic. You don't look terrible. In fact, I think it's kind of cute."

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah."

I leaned over and ruffled his hair even more, messing it up further.

"Hey! Stop that!" He protested, trying to swat my hand away, but couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his lips.

I just laughed and pushed him lightly, "You look better with messy hair. More carefree."

What’s wrong with me?

As I playfully pushed at Hayden, I couldn’t help but wonder why I was acting this way with him. We were just friends, right? But there was something about the way he looked – messyhaired and sleepy – that tugged at my heartstrings.

Why do I feel this way around him? Why is my heart racing every time he’s this close to me?

I tried to shake off the thoughts, telling myself it was just because he looked cute right now, nothing more. But as he looked up at me with his dark, sleepy eyes, I knew it wasn’t that simple.

Why does he look at me like that? Like I’m the only person in the room? It’s like he’s looking right through me…

I pushed the feelings down, not wanting to admit the truth to myself. We were just friends. It didn’t mean anything more… right? But there was something about the way he leaned into my touch, the way he smiled sleepily that made butterflies flutter in my stomach.

This is ridiculous. I should just ignore these feelings. They’ll go away eventually. Maybe…

I stepped away from Hayden, trying to distance myself a bit. It was getting harder to deny the strange emotions I felt around him.

Why can’t I just act normal? Why does being around him make me feel this way?

I watched as he tried to fix his messy hair, his fingers running through the dark locks, and my heart gave a little skip.

I turned my gaze away, feeling a little flustered. Why does he have this effect on me? It’s like he can make my heart race with just a smile or a look.

But I had to remind myself - we were friends. Nothing more.

Just friends, I repeated in my head, trying to convince myself. But as I watched him again, a part of me was starting to wish for more.

"Are you alright?" Hayden's voice broke through my thoughts.

I quickly composed myself, giving him a shaky smile. "Yeah, of course," I replied, my voice slightly hoarse. "I'm just tired, that's all."

He looked at me, his dark eyes studying me for a moment. It was like he could see right through me. He knew I wasn’t being truthful.

"Are you sure?" He asked, his tone gentle yet firm. "You're acting a bit weird."

I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. I wasn't ready to face my own feelings, let alone talk about them. "I'm fine, really. Just need some coffee or something," I replied, avoiding his gaze.

Hayden didn't look completely convinced, but he didn't press the matter further. He just nodded slowly, letting it drop, although I could sense he didn’t fully believe me.

We stood there for a moment, a mix of comfortable silence and unspoken tension between us. I could feel the weight of my own emotions pressing down on me, and I had to fight the urge to say something, to confess.

But what could I even say?

“Hey, I think I might have feelings for you, but I don’t know how to deal with them”

No, that sounded ridiculous in my head.

“I've been acting strange because I get butterflies every time I see you…”

That sounded even worse.

I swallowed hard, trying to push these thoughts away. It was just a silly crush, right? It would pass eventually. It had to.

But looking at Hayden, the way his messy hair fell over his forehead, his dark eyes filled with concern and curiosity, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was something more between us.

I desperately wanted to say something, anything, to break this awkward atmosphere. But the words stuck in my throat, as if they were trapped behind a wall of my fears and insecurities.

Hayden looked at me again, his eyes still piercing through me, like he was waiting for me to speak up, to say what was on my mind. But the only thing I could manage was a shaky nod, pretending everything was fine.

The silence between us grew heavier with each passing moment. I could sense Hayden’s impatience, his frustration at my reluctance to speak honestly. But what could I say?

I was too afraid to even admit my feelings to myself, let alone to him. I needed time to think, to understand what I was feeling.

But the longer I stayed silent, the more I could see the hint of hurt in his eyes, the way his gaze darkened slightly. And it made my heart ache.

Finally, he let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his already messy hair. “Milo, I can tell something is bothering you. You’ve been acting strange ever since I woke up. Just tell me what’s going on.”

His words struck a chord within me. He could see right through me, as always. I knew I couldn’t avoid this conversation any longer.

I took a shaky breath, trying to calm my racing heart. "It’s nothing, really. I’m just tired and a bit confused, that’s all."

Hayden raised an eyebrow. "That’s definitely not all. You’ve been avoiding my gaze, fidgeting, and acting like you’re hiding something from me. Spill it, Milo."

His tone was stern, his dark eyes fixed on me, demanding the truth. I couldn’t avoid it any longer.

I swallowed hard, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. This is it. There’s no going back now.

"I’ve been feeling...different lately," I started, my voice quiet and shaky. "Different when I’m around you."

Hayden's expression shifted from impatient to curious. He tilted his head slightly, a hint of confusion in his dark eyes. "Different how?" he asked, a slight edge of wariness in his tone.

The question hung in the air, my own breath caught in my throat. I didn’t know how to explain the strange mix of emotions I was feeling.

"I...I don’t know," I managed to answer finally, my voice barely above a whisper. "I just feel different when I see you, hear your voice...even when you touch me."

Hayden's eyes widened slightly at my admission. He took a step towards me, his gaze still fixed on me. "What do you mean, different? Tell me." His voice was softer now, laced with a hint of concern.

"It's hard to explain," I admitted, my eyes drifting away from his intense gaze. "It's like my heart races every time you're near, I feel butterflies in my stomach when you smile, and I get so tongue-tied around you. I’ve never felt this way before."

Hayden's face contorted into a mix of surprise and repulsion. "You...you have a crush on me?"

I nodded silently, not meeting his eyes. This was not the reaction I had hoped for. His expression grew stern, and he stepped away from me, creating distance between us.

"Milo, I'm sorry, but this is just too weird for me. I don't feel that way about you, and frankly, this makes me uncomfortable," he stated firmly. "I think it'd be best if you left."

I could feel my heart breaking as the words sank in. I had hoped for a different response, a chance that maybe he felt the same. But Hayden’s reaction made it clear that my feelings were not reciprocated.

"O-okay," I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'll go."

Without another word, I made my way to the door, feeling a mix of embarrassment and pain. I glanced back at Hayden once, but his expression was distant and cold.

It was over before it even began.

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