Never Just Friends

Unexpected Encounters

She glanced back and forth between them, her heart racing. “What do you mean? I know him—he’s been nothing but nice to me.”

Jacob let out a harsh laugh. “Oh, he’s nice now, is he? Ask him how he treats other people’s girlfriends.”

Hanna turned to Marco, confusion and betrayal twisting in her gut. “What is he talking about?”

Marco’s face was shadowed with regret, and he glanced away, unable to meet her eyes. “Hanna, I didn’t… I didn’t know he was your brother.”

Jacob took a step closer, his fists still clenched. “He’s the reason my last relationship fell apart, Hanna. He was with my ex behind my back. That’s the kind of guy you’re dealing with here.”

Hanna’s heart sank, the weight of Jacob’s words heavy in her chest. She looked at Marco, her mind racing, struggling to reconcile the kind, supportive person she’d gotten to know with the man Jacob was describing.

“Hanna, please,” Marco started, his voice soft, pleading. “That was a mistake, something I regret deeply. I never wanted to hurt you or him. It’s different now.”

But Hanna’s mind was already spinning, torn between disbelief and the painful truth standing right in front of her.

Later that weekend, Hanna tried to process everything Jacob had told her about Marco, but her feelings were all tangled up. She felt betrayed, hurt, and, most of all, confused. Marco had been so kind to her, so different from the version Jacob described. She kept telling herself that people made mistakes, but she couldn’t shake the nagging doubts now lodged firmly in her mind.

That evening, she decided to attend a friend’s small gathering to clear her head. The party was relaxed, people spread out in small groups, catching up and laughing. She was sipping her drink, feeling only slightly more at ease, when she turned and locked eyes with Finn.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, the noise and laughter around them fading into the background. She hadn’t seen him since he’d pulled away, and the sight of him—his familiar smile, the slight tension in his gaze—brought all her pain and anger rushing to the surface.

Unable to hold back, she walked over to him, her expression unreadable. “Finn,” she said, her voice low and full of emotion. “Are we ever going to talk about what happened? Or are you just going to keep pretending I don’t exist?”

He looked at her, his face caught between regret and something softer. “Hanna… I’m sorry. I didn’t want things to be like this.”

She let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “But you let them be like this, Finn. You let your parents decide everything, even who you’re allowed to care about.”

“It wasn’t that simple,” he murmured, looking away. “They were only trying to protect me. To protect us both. They saw how hard things were becoming, and I didn’t want to keep putting you through that.”

“Putting me through what?” Hanna’s voice grew stronger, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “Being someone you care about? Being someone you stand up for? Because that’s what you promised me, Finn, and now you’re just… letting them scare you into dropping me.”

His expression hardened, conflicted. “Hanna, I don’t want to hurt you. I thought maybe I was making things worse by holding on when they—”

She shook her head, cutting him off. “If you really cared about me, you wouldn’t be ashamed of me. You wouldn’t let them treat me like I’m some mistake. I deserve someone who isn’t afraid to be with me, Finn.”

The words seemed to land like a punch, and he looked down, clearly shaken. Finally, he took a breath, meeting her gaze. “You’re right,” he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Hanna felt a mixture of relief and sadness, and she turned to walk away, only for him to speak up again.

“Hanna, wait. I need to tell you something about Marco. You can’t trust him.”

She let out a frustrated sigh, glaring back at him. “You too? Why can’t any of you just be happy for me? Marco’s actually there for me, unlike you, Finn.”

“Hanna, it’s not jealousy—”

“Really? Then maybe you should just focus on winning Ciara back,” she said coldly. “Your parents seem to like her better than me anyway.”