A better place to be in

Conner turned to look at Melanie for an answer, and Melanie, who looked back at him, could feel Simon's curious stare. The red-headed vampire seemed so eager to push her to Conner now, and somewhere even that thought annoyed her.

Before Conner could repeat the same words in front of Simon, Melanie said to Conner, "I am sorry, Conner, but I don't think I can." When she saw her friend part his lips to speak, she continued, "It is true that in the past I used to have romantic feelings towards you, but somewhere in between then and now, I decided to move on, and I don't feel the same way I used to feel for you. You are still my friend, and I love you so. Just not romantically anymore," she repeated the words while making sure she put her point across both the boys. 

The reason why she hadn't been able to give an answer right away to Conner earlier was because she was still processing how she felt. Gathering her feelings of past and present had torn her.