"I like you," she said.
It came out clean.
Catching him by surprise after naming ducks.
He blinked.
For a second, he didn't answer. His mind stalled on the words. He just looked at her.
The dark circles under her eyes. The pale skin. The IV line taped to her hand. The sunflowers resting against her side.
She held his gaze. Didn't move.
"I—"
He stopped. Reset.
"I like you too," he said.
She doesn't mean love right? Like as a friend? But do you kiss a friend? Then what does she mean by Like?
She shook her head at once.
"No. I mean—"
She exhaled. It caught.
"I really like you."
Her voice dropped.
"Not just from the date. From the first day I sat next to you."
Her eyes fell to her hands.
"I kept finding reasons to be near you. To talk to you. I told myself it was nothing. But still couldn't stop but think about you all the time."
Her fingers pressed into the blanket.
"And then you came here with sunflowers."
A small pause.
