"Hayley, could I tell you something?"

Ryan looked at the eyes of this amazing girl in front of him. The best thing that had happened to him and the only reason why he woke up in the morning and went to sleep at night. He knew she liked him, so why was this so hard? Just three words, 'I', 'Love', and 'You'. And maybe he would add a 'Hayley' at the back so it became 'I love you, Hayley'. No, too cheesy. Jeez.

"I...er...."

She was staring at him now. He mentally slapped himself for not combing his hair well that morning. Just do it, you're going to do it anyway, so do it now. Do what? I forgot what I was going to tell her. Oh yeah, 'I love you'. Or was it 'I love you, Hayley'. Me stared at my hands.

"I love..er.."

Now she was smiling. Was she taunting him? He didn't dare look at her anymore.

"Ryan, do you love me?"

"What? Huh?"

"Do you love me?"

"I think so..." Ryan thought he was a dumbass, couldn't he give a better reply?

"I really think so...." What an improvement. But Hayley hugged him anyway.

"Then I love you too, dumbass". She called him a dumbass, but she said she loved him too. And she had given him a hug. Ryan loved her hugs, warm, but not too friendly, always loving. He hugged her back.