▁aside , ▁so ▁they ▁can ▁form ▁a ▁friendship ▁instead . ▁Hall ▁also ▁admitted ▁that ▁he ▁thought ▁it ▁was ▁" a ▁bit ▁weird " ▁of ▁Ned ▁to ▁feel ▁that ▁way ▁about ▁La uren ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁place . ▁Ned ▁is ▁surprised ▁by ▁Brad ▁and ▁La uren ' s ▁eng agement , ▁as ▁he ▁knows ▁how ▁" f rag ile " ▁their ▁relationship ▁has ▁been ▁since ▁the ▁kiss . ▁Hall ▁added , ▁" But ▁Ned ▁wants ▁to ▁be ▁happy ▁for ▁them ▁and ▁he ▁wants ▁them ▁to ▁be ▁happy ▁too . ▁Ned ▁is ▁not ▁mal icious , ▁so ▁once ▁he ▁understand s ▁it , ▁he ' s ▁okay ▁with ▁it ▁and ▁wants ▁it ▁to ▁work ." ▁ ▁Rel ations hip ▁with ▁El ly ▁Con way ▁ ▁Following ▁Hall ' s ▁return ▁to ▁film ing , ▁the ▁actor ▁confirmed ▁that ▁Ned ▁would ▁be ▁receiving ▁a ▁new ▁love ▁interest ▁and ▁produ cers ▁pa ired ▁his ▁character ▁with ▁the ▁newly ▁introduced ▁El ly ▁Con way ▁( J odi ▁An asta ). ▁In ▁a ▁bid ▁to ▁show ▁his ▁father ▁that ▁he ▁is ▁over ▁his ▁cr ush ▁on ▁La uren , ▁Ned ▁asks ▁El ly ▁out ▁on ▁a ▁date , ▁and ▁she ▁accepts ▁as ▁she ▁is ▁" in tr igu ed " ▁by ▁Ned . ▁Ned ▁asks ▁El ly ▁out ▁on ▁a ▁second ▁date , ▁but ▁she ▁turns ▁him ▁down ▁and ▁attempts ▁to ▁play ▁hard ▁to ▁get , ▁so ▁Ned ▁asks ▁Mad ison ▁Robinson ▁( S ar ah ▁Ellen ) ▁out ▁instead ▁to ▁make ▁El ly ▁je alous . ▁Hall ▁told