Not sure you call saying "I love you" to your boyfriend (whom you have been dating for the last few months) "confessing" but she finally did say I love you so I guess that is nice. And of course he heard it, why else would his eyes be open and he be blushing?
Also what is the time line of this series, I started paying attention to "dates" in Shoujo series since they always have chapters focusing on holidays, but aren't they still in the same year however that was there second Christmas?