章 80: They All Like Her

Jason POV:

Great. Just great. Now I was stuck in the middle of this mess where not only was I competing with Ella's walls of indifference, but also with my so-called friends. Friends who, as it turned out, had the nerve to like the same girl I did. 

"You guys can't pull this on me," I said, my voice sharp as I turned to Max and Dylan. "I told you—I already like her." 

Max crossed his arms, his expression defiant. "Why do you get to have Ella, and we don't? What makes you so special?" 

"Because I already told her," I fired back, desperate to make them understand. 

Max's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. Dylan leaned forward, his face a mix of surprise and something else—maybe shock, maybe envy. "What?" Dylan asked. "You *told* her?" 

"Yeah," I admitted, my voice quieter now. 

"And?" Max pushed, his tone almost mocking. "Did she accept you, lover boy?"