The Confession Almost Said

The next few days passed in a blur of work, texts from Jessie, and frequent thoughts about Ethan. The dinner with his family still weighed heavily on Lena’s mind, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop thinking about the way Ethan had looked at her that night. It felt like he wanted to say something more, like there was an unspoken connection lingering between them.

But then again, maybe she was reading too much into it. After all, Ethan had yet to mention Megan, and there was no real confirmation that they had broken up. She didn’t want to jump to conclusions.

It was late Wednesday afternoon when Lena’s phone buzzed with a text from Ethan.

**Ethan**: Hey, I need a favor. Can you meet me at the park near your office around 6 PM? I’ll explain when I see you.

Lena’s stomach did a small flip. What kind of favor? Was something wrong? She quickly texted back.

**Lena**: Sure, I’ll see you there.

The rest of her workday crawled by. She found it nearly impossible to focus, her mind distracted by thoughts of what Ethan could possibly need. Had something happened with Megan? Was he finally going to open up about the situation? Or was this just another friendly hangout, and she was overthinking things?

By the time 6:00 PM rolled around, Lena was standing in the park, fidgeting with her hands as she waited for Ethan to arrive. The park was quiet, with only a few people jogging or walking their dogs, and the cool breeze of the early evening was a welcome relief from the heat of the day.

She spotted Ethan walking toward her, his hands shoved in the pockets of his jacket. He looked serious, more serious than she had ever seen him before, and that only made Lena’s nerves spike even more.

“Hey,” he greeted her with a small smile as he approached. “Thanks for coming.”

“Of course,” Lena replied, her voice soft. “What’s going on? You sounded… I don’t know, worried?”

Ethan let out a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, sorry if I worried you. It’s just—there’s something I need to talk to you about. And honestly, I don’t know how to bring it up.”

Lena’s heart began to race. *This is it*, she thought. *He’s going to tell me about Megan. He’s going to finally end things with her.*

She tried to keep her voice calm. “You can tell me anything, Ethan. What’s going on?”

He motioned toward a nearby bench, and they both sat down, the tension between them thick enough to cut with a knife. Ethan was quiet for a moment, staring down at his hands as if he were gathering his thoughts.

Finally, he looked up, meeting her gaze with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine.

“I broke up with Megan,” he said, his voice low.

Lena’s breath caught in her throat. Even though she had suspected it, hearing the words come out of his mouth still hit her like a ton of bricks.

“Oh,” she managed to say, her mind scrambling to process the information. “I… I didn’t know. Are you okay?”

Ethan nodded slowly, though his expression was clouded with a mix of emotions. “Yeah. I mean, it’s been coming for a long time. We’ve been growing apart for months now, and I think we both knew it was over. We just didn’t want to admit it.”

Lena felt a pang of sympathy for him. Breakups were never easy, no matter the circumstances, and she hated the thought of Ethan being hurt, even if it meant there might be a chance for them.

“I’m really sorry, Ethan,” she said softly. “I know it’s hard.”

Ethan gave her a small, sad smile. “Thanks. I’m doing okay, though. It’s just… it’s weird, you know? To end something that was such a big part of your life.”

Lena nodded, understanding all too well. She’d been there before—when you’re with someone for a long time, it feels like they become intertwined with your identity. Letting go of that could be one of the hardest things to do.

They sat in silence for a moment, the soft rustling of the trees and the distant chirping of birds filling the air. Lena wasn’t sure what to say. Should she offer more comfort? Was this her moment to tell Ethan how she really felt about him?

Before she could decide, Ethan broke the silence.

“There’s something else I need to tell you,” he said, his voice quieter now, more hesitant.

Lena’s heart pounded in her chest. *This is it,* she thought. *He’s going to confess. He’s going to tell me he feels the same way I do.*

“What is it?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ethan looked at her for a long moment, as if he were searching for the right words. But then, just as he opened his mouth to speak, his phone buzzed loudly in his pocket, cutting through the moment like a knife.

He sighed, pulling it out and glancing at the screen. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I have to take this. It’s my sister. Give me a sec?”

Lena nodded, her heart sinking. The moment was gone.

Ethan stepped away to answer the call, and Lena sat on the bench, staring at the ground as her mind raced. What was he going to say? Was he going to tell her how he felt? Or was it something else entirely?

When Ethan returned a few minutes later, his expression was apologetic. “Sorry about that. Leah needed help with something.”

“No worries,” Lena said, trying to sound casual, even though her insides were twisting in knots.

Ethan sat back down, but the intensity from before had faded. He seemed more relaxed now, like whatever he had been about to say wasn’t as important anymore. Lena’s heart sank further. Had she been wrong? Was she reading too much into things?

“I guess what I was trying to say before is that I’ve been thinking a lot lately,” Ethan said, his tone more casual now. “About life, relationships, all of it. And I realized I need to take some time for myself—to figure out what I really want, you know?”

Lena nodded slowly, trying to keep the disappointment from showing on her face. “Yeah, I get that.”

Ethan gave her a small smile. “You’ve always been such a good friend to me, Lena. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

And there it was—*the friend card*. Lena felt her heart sink even further. She had been so sure that Ethan was on the verge of confessing something deeper, but instead, it seemed like he was reinforcing the fact that they were just friends.

“Thanks, Ethan,” she said, forcing a smile. “You’re a great friend too.”

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, the weight of the unspoken words hanging between them. Lena wanted to say something—anything—to break the tension, to tell him how she really felt. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Not when he had just broken up with Megan, and not when he clearly wasn’t ready for something new.

Eventually, Ethan stood up, stretching his arms. “I should probably get going. I promised Leah I’d help her with some stuff tonight.”

Lena nodded, standing up as well. “Yeah, of course.”

They walked toward the park exit together, the tension between them still lingering. As they reached the sidewalk, Ethan turned to her with a soft smile.

“Thanks for meeting up with me today,” he said. “I really appreciate it.”

“Anytime,” Lena replied, her heart heavy with unspoken words.

Ethan hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and pulled her into a warm hug. Lena’s breath caught in her throat as she wrapped her arms around him, trying to savor the moment. But before she could fully process it, the hug was over, and Ethan was stepping back.

“See you soon?” he asked, his eyes searching hers.

“Yeah,” Lena said softly. “See you soon.”

As Ethan walked away, Lena stood there for a moment, staring after him. Her mind was spinning with everything that had happened—his breakup with Megan, the almost-confession, and the confusing mix of emotions that had followed.

There was still hope, she told herself. Maybe Ethan just needed time. Maybe he wasn’t ready yet, but someday he would be. 

For now, though, she would have to wait. And waiting was always the hardest part.

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