Why Can't I Hate You (Tentative Title)

Chapter 3-Secret Admirer

Nathan thought Heidi was delusional with what she was telling him. She was never Austin's type of woman. With Austin's playboy reputation, Heidi would never pass as his kind of girl.

"Are you sure about this? I mean, Austin had never spent at least two days without a girl by his side. Surely, he would have said something to you if he really liked you." Nathan concluded.

"But he only liked me after he started dating Valerie. That was why I hated her for trapping Austin in a relationship he didn't want anymore. Valerie knew that I had a crush on Austin even before we became best friends and yet she made him her boyfriend. I mean, there is a code about not stealing someone's crush, right?" Heidi said.

"How did you come upon that conclusion? I don't mean to offend you or anything but you might just be imagining things." Nathan insisted which challenged Heidi to prove her theory.

"Okay. No one knows about this but sixteen days before my 16th birthday, mysterious gift kept appearing either in my locker or on my classroom table. I got sixteen different kinds of gifts for sixteen days. The last gift was the most memorable to me." Heidi said and her hand unconsciously went to the emerald green Swarovski bracelet she wore on her left hand. She played with its she continued, "And how do I know they were from Austin? I know because I would always catch Austin lurking around somewhere nearby where he left the gifts even if he was pretending to be talking to some friend. Sometimes, I even catch him walking away from where the gifts were placed. I knew Austin just didn't want anyone to know about his secret gesture because he was trying to protect me from Valerie. He knew she'd destroy me thinking that I'm trying to steal Austin from her. I think she found out about it anyway because she did spread that rumor about me being a lesbian." she finished with her argument and all Nathan did was laugh out loud.

Heidi narrowed her eyes at Nathan. "Oh so you still don't believe me? Here's another evidence. Before Valerie could spread that lesbian rumor, an anonymous text mate entered my life right after my birthday. He asked me about the gifts he sent me whether I liked it or not. Then, we ended up communicating there every day and every night. We never end the night without saying goodnight or start the day without greeting each other hello or good morning. It might seem creepy to some people but I found it rather sweet. Through the text messages we exchanged, we really talked to each other with our souls and got to know each other better." Heidi told Nathan.

"That still doesn't prove it was Austin on the other end of the line writing you those messages." Nathan argued, needing more proof.

"I am not yet done telling my story. Okay, so one day, I overheard them arguing-something about Austin cheating on Valerie and that she wanted him to end it. Then, that very night, he didn't texted me anything. He didn't even say goodbye to me. I tried contacting him but he just ignored me and possibly lost the number all together. Just like that, he disappear from my life. Whenever we pass by each other in the hallways, he never looked at me like I was non-existent. He chose Valerie over me and I didn't want to be a relationship saboteur so I just let it be. Valerie told everyone I was a lesbian so maybe that turned him off. I never got the chance to explain to him. And that was the end of it for him. Austin was the one that got away." Heidi confessed to Nathan. She did not know why she did but she felt he was so easy to talk to and he actually listened to her.

"So, what you're saying is you are in love with this mysterious secret admirer of yours who may or may not be Austin. But you've convinced yourself that it was Austin because it was so much easier to fall in love with such a handsome face. Did I get that right?" Nathan put it all together and Heidi confirmed it with a nod.

"It was Austin. I know it was him." she insisted but Nathan just shook his head in disbelief.

"I don't know, Heids. Your evidence is kind of weak and vague. Don't tell anyone about it. You might look like a stalker or a desperate woman." he warned her.

"Exactly why I didn't want to go to the reunion in the first place. I might end up falling for Austin again. He definitely would have become even more handsome and hot. Look how you turned out. You used to look frail with just skin and bones and now, you've got those muscles. Austin would have definitely worked out, too. I can imagine him to be way hotter and sexier." Heidi began to daydream, completely forgetting she was doing it out loud.

"Isn't it possible he could have slacked off and gotten himself a beer belly? Or even a kid of his own with Valerie? Haven't you checked them out on Facebook?" he burst her bubble.

"What?! Tell me you're lying. I still haven't been in touch with any of our batch mates since college and I haven't logged into my FB account for like a year now with how busy I was with my work. What you said about Austin, is it true?" Heidi panicked at the thought of potato couch Austin. She took her phone and started to log on to her Facebook account but he stopped her.

"I don't know either but wouldn't it be better to see for yourself in the reunion? Why ruin the surprise by going through Facebook?" Nathan tempted Heidi.

"But I don't want to go there still single and possibly a lesbian. Unless..." Heidi's eyes widen with her bright idea and Nathan was scared of what it was.

"What?" Nathan asked with hesitation. He knew Heidi would involve him when her eyebrows went up and down with this wicked smile on her face.

"Unless we go together as a couple. It would be hitting two birds with one stone. Not only won't be going there single and lonely anymore, but also I get to clear up to everyone that I am not a lesbian and possibly make Austin jealous and regret for not choosing me. That's actually three birds with one stone! Great idea, right?" Heidi had this wide smile on her face. "Are you with me on this plan? Please?" she begged.

Nathan thought about it out loud. "What you're saying is we have to pretend to be dating each other. And I get to show you off as my girlfriend. And I wouldn't have to get rid of our other female batch mates who are also single and eyeing for any bachelors to seduce. I get to actually have a good time." Nathan thought about it a few more seconds.

"So? Have you made up your mind, Nathan? Will you be my pretend boyfriend?" Heidi proposed.

Nathan looked at Heidi's beseeching, adorable face and said, "Yes, I will. From now on, you are my pretend girlfriend."

"Great! I love you!" Heidi screamed with joy and hugged Nathan. Everyone at the coffee shop were looking at them and thought they were getting married so some people clapped their hands.

Heidi went back to her seat from embarrassment but she didn't feel the need to clear the misunderstanding up with the people in the coffee shop.

"Okay, we just have to get our stories straight about how we met again and how we started dating and ended up as boyfriend-girlfriend. And we'd be good to go." Nathan said and they went on to discuss further how their love story was going to go.