mine all mine ~ Henry Danger

[24] Super volcano (pt.2)

I stood outside Tyler's house, my stomach in knots as I raised my hand to knock. I hadn't spoken to him in weeks since that awkward almost-kiss, and now I was here to finally clear the air. The sooner I did this, the better, especially with everything going on. The last thing I wanted was to leave things unresolved between us, especially if the world really was ending.

The door swung open before I could knock, and there stood Tyler, looking a little surprised to see me but not upset.

"Hey," he greeted, stepping aside to let me in. His house was quiet, and I could feel the tension immediately.

"Hey," I replied softly, stepping inside and slipping off my shoes. I didn't know where to start, but we couldn't avoid this conversation any longer.

We ended up sitting on the couch, a few feet apart. I took a deep breath, looking down at my hands, knowing I had to address the elephant in the room. "Tyler, I just want to say I'm sorry for disappearing on you after... you know, that night. I shouldn't have left things like that."

Tyler nodded but didn't say anything right away. He was waiting for me to continue.

"I've just had a lot going on, and I've been confused about everything. But that doesn't excuse how I handled things. I don't want you to feel like I was leading you on or anything," I added, glancing over at him. His expression was neutral, but there was something in his eyes I couldn't quite read.

"We were both confused that night," Tyler finally said, his voice calm but firm. "But I've had some time to think, too. And I need to ask you something, Y/N." He paused, and I felt my heart rate pick up. "Do you like Henry?"

My stomach dropped at his question. Not this again.

"Tyler..." I started, my voice soft. "You've already asked me this before, and I told you I don't."

His gaze didn't waver. "Who are you trying to fool, Y/N?" he asked, his tone sharpening just enough to make me flinch. "Me? Yourself? Because it sure seems like something's going on."

I hesitated, trying to find the right words. My head was spinning. Of course, I had feelings for Henry—feelings I'd buried for so long that sometimes even I didn't know what to do with them. But admitting that to Tyler? Now? After everything? It felt wrong.

"I'm not... trying to fool anyone," I said slowly, but even I didn't believe my own words. Tyler didn't either, apparently.

"You're not fooling me, that's for sure," Tyler said, his voice softer now but still filled with certainty. "I've seen the way you look at him. I'm not blind, Y/N."

My throat tightened. "It's not like that," I whispered, more to convince myself than him.

"Isn't it?" Tyler pressed, leaning forward a little. "Look, I'm not mad at you. I just need to know where we stand. If you like Henry, then we need to be honest about that."

"I don't like Henry," I insisted, but my voice wavered. "He's into someone else. And... you and I... we're figuring things out."

Tyler's gaze softened, but he didn't drop the subject. "I like you, Y/N. I really do. But I don't want to be the guy you settle for just because you can't have him."

His words hit me hard, and I felt a lump form in my throat. "Tyler, that's not what this is," I said, my voice shaky. "I'm here because I care about you. I want to fix things between us."

He studied me for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Okay. But you need to be honest with yourself, too. If there's anything more going on with you and Henry, you've gotta figure it out before we can move forward."