'One Of Us Is Lying' stars explain that heartbreaking 'Natewyn' ending: 'He just wants the best for her'

• "One Of Us Is Lying" follows teenagers who bond because of a shared traumatic experience.
• Insider spoke to the actors who play fan-favorite couple "Natewyn" about their season one ending.

Warning: This story contains major spoilers for "One Of Us Is Lying" season one.

The first season of Peacock's teen thriller "One Of Us Is Lying" kicks off with what appears to be an accidental death in high-school detention and ends with another fatal shot in the woods. You wouldn't think there'd be much time for love and heartbreak in between, but trust us, there is.

Throughout season one, Nate (Cooper Van Grootel) and Bronwyn (Marianly Tejada) became a fan-favorite couple and had one of the most buzzed-about storylines on the show. Their relationship, dubbed "Natewyn" by fans, develops as the bad boy and the straight-laced girl (who are former childhood friends) reconnect and fall in love while enduring the traumatic aftermath of Simon's (Mark McKenna) death.

But after witnessing Simon's killer Jake (Barrett Carnahan) get shot in the woods during another fatal accident on Halloween, Nate turns icy toward Bronwyn. His only explanation for not picking up Bronwyn's calls is, "We said we'd go back to normal. We are not each other's normal."

Understandably, viewers who 'shipped the couple were pretty heartbroken by this turn of events. But in a joint interview with Tejada, Van Grootel explained to Insider how he views his character's decision to break things off.

"I believe he just doesn't want to keep stringing Bronwyn down this destructive path," the actor told Insider.

Van Grootel believes Nate, whose mom abandoned him and whose dad is neglectful due to alcoholism, has internalized his own family struggles. "His parents have abandoned him, and he loves Bronwyn," he continued. "He feels like he's not up to her standards and he just wants the best for her."

Pushing Bronwyn away is a pattern for Nate. He makes an attempt to end things with her when she visits him in jail and he tells her not to pay his bail, too.

Van Grootel said Nate was trying to save Bronwyn from "destruction and loss of career and possibly even loss of family." He thinks that's where being in a relationship with him will lead Bronwyn.

Nate's reaction really does come from love, Van Grootel told Insider, so the jail scene was the most difficult scene for him to film, emotionally. He said it also felt "really beautiful to convey."

The actors are well aware their characters' relationship was well-received by viewers. Tejada explained to Insider that the couple is a magnetic force for each other and for fans for a reason: The way the former childhood friends are drawn back together over shared tragedy is organic.

She explained that since they were not in the popular group with Cooper (Chibuikem Uche) and Addy (Annalisa Cochrane), they needed each other to "confide in."

"And then also have a space where you can be vulnerable. And I think Bronwyn sees Nate for who he really is with a huge heart, and he does the right thing more often than not," she continued. "So I think they see each other for who they really are and not just the archetype that they both represent."

The entire first season of "One Of Us Is Lying" is now streaming on Peacock.