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Alexa sat across from Nolan, who seemed lost in his own world, fiddling with his guitar. She cleared her throat, trying to get his attention.
“Hey Nolan,” she began, hoping to start a conversation. “I noticed that you’ve been pretty quiet lately. Is everything okay?”
Nolan shrugged his shoulders and continued playing the guitar, not making eye contact with Alexa. She tried again.
“We’ve spoken about how important it is to be connected with our families.” She paused, allowing him to process her words. “Have you tried talking to your dad lately?”
Nolan finally looked up, his expression emotionless.
“No,” he said simply.
“Why not? He’s your dad, Nolan. He cares about you,” Alexa emphasized, hoping to get through to him.
Nolan shrugged his shoulders once again, as if the conversation didn’t matter to him. “I don’t know what to say to him,” he mumbled.
“Well, why don’t you start by asking him about his day? Show interest in his life,” suggested Alexa, hoping to guide him in the right direction.
Nolan strummed his guitar and thought about it for a moment. “I guess I could try,” he said finally.
“Great!” exclaimed Alexa, feeling like she made a breakthrough. “It’s important to nurture relationships with our loved ones.”
Nolan nodded, still not very convinced. “I’ll try,” he repeated.
Alexa smiled, feeling proud of making even a small difference in his life. “Remember, communication is key in any relationship. Don’t be afraid to show your dad that you care about him, Nolan.”
Nolan looked up at her and nodded, finally meeting her gaze. “Thanks, Alexa. I’ll try my best.”
She strode over to him, inwardly relieved, but a wave of anger went through her as she remembered how frustrated she had been when he disappeared. She yelled at him, “Where did you go? You still haven’t mentioned that to me. I had been looking for you since your departure! Don’t you understand how worried I was?”
He looked up at her, his expression a mix of confusion and sadness. “I’m sorry, Alexa. I didn’t mean to worry you. I was just going through a lot, and I needed some time to think. I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble.”
Alexa felt a pang of guilt mixed with anger at his words. She knew he had been struggling with some personal issues, but why did he have to disappear like that?
“I understand that, but you could at least let me know where you were going. You had me worried sick! I thought something had happened to you,” she replied, her voice softening as she realised how bad he must have been feeling.
“I know, and I’m sorry,” he said, looking down at his hands. “I just didn’t want to burden you with my problems.”
Alexa felt bad for him, and her anger melted away. She knew how hard it was to open up about personal issues, especially to someone as close as she was to him. She pulled out a chair and sat down across the table from him.
“Listen, you don’t have to go through this alone. I’m here for you if you need me. You can always open up to me, and we will get through this together.”
He looked up at her, his eyes misty with emotion. “Thank you, Alexa. It means a lot that you’re here for me.”
“Of course,” she smiled at him, placing her arm on his. “We’ve been through so much together, and we’ll get through this too. Just promise me that you will never disappear like that again. Okay?”
He nodded, a small smile on his face. “Okay, I promise.”
She felt a sense of relief mixed with happiness. She knew that she had forgiven him, and they could move past this. She also felt proud of herself for being there for someone who needed her. She whispered to herself, “I’m glad I could be there for him, and help him when he needed it the most.”
She looked at him and noticed a sad look on his.
“Any problem?”
Nolan hesitated before saying anything.
Alexa sensed something was off. “Nolan, is everything okay? You seem really tense.” she asked.
Nolan took a deep breath before responding. “Actually, Alexa, I have something to tell you.”
“Go on?” Alexa replied.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.
“I broke up with Kathy,” Nolan admitted.
Alexa fell silent for a moment. “Oh my gosh, Nolan, I’m so sorry. I had no idea things were that bad. Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?”
“No, no, it’s okay,” Nolan replied hastily. “I just wanted to let you know. I appreciate your concern.”
Alexa then proceeded to apologize for yelling at Nolan during their conversation. She explained that his disappearance got her really worked up, and she had been taking it out on him. “I’m really sorry about that, Nolan,” she said.
“It’s water under the bridge, Alexa,” Nolan replied. “But there’s something I need to tell you, something I’ve been holding back for a while now…”
Alexa listened attentively as Nolan confessed his feelings for her. “I know this may sound sudden, but I’ve had feelings for you for a long time. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship but I couldn’t keep it inside anymore.”
Alexa was stunned. “I had no idea, Nolan,” she replied. “But I appreciate your honesty.”
Nolan sighed with relief. “I understand if you don’t feel the same way, but I just wanted to put it out there.”
“Nolan, you’re one of my closest friends,” Alexa replied gently. “But I just don’t have romantic feelings for you. I hope we can still be friends though.”
“Of course,” Nolan said. “I’ll always treasure our friendship, Alexa.”
And just like that, a weight was lifted off Nolan’s shoulders. Although Alexa didn’t feel the same way, he was grateful for her friendship and for being able to confide in her. He knew he had made the right decision in both breaking up with Kathy and being honest about his feelings for Alexa.