The day was full of surprises. I got my way when the ball said, 'yes' to going to the diner. We sat across from one another, although I sort of wished I thought to sit next to her, on her side. I just enjoy being close to her. Yeah, maybe Dad is right... I'm in pretty deep here.

"That's a face," Brynn says, after getting her milkshake and taking a long sip.

I just play with my straw and keep staring at her. "Sorry," I tell her. The absolute worst part of being with Brynn is not knowing how much you can get away with telling her. She seems so together, almost has a rough edge to her. So you know she wouldn't like someone thinking she was weak in any way but it's hard not to notice she's fragile the more time you spend with her.

Something in her eyes just says, "Please, don't hurt me." And I want to tell her "I never will. That she can count on me", but I don't think she's ready to accept that just yet.

"Want to talk about it?" she offers, right before taking a sip of my milkshake.

"Hey!" I say and she laughs.

"What? I never had that flavor so, I was curious as to what it tasted like," she says in her defense.

"Remind me to order something you're familiar with for lunch. Hopefully you won't go stealing my burger and fries."

"To stingy to share?" she counters.

"NO. But the polite thing to do is to ask first." I frown as I realize I sound like my Mom. She would have cheered if she heard that sentence come out of my mouth.

"So, then I guess I should ask if you're dating anyone else?"

I nearly spit out my milkshake. "What in the world would make you ask me that question?"

"Well, I noticed you didn't say, no." Brynn took another sip, of her own shake this time.

"No, Brynn. I'm not dating anyone but you. But as you brought the subject up... Are you doing any freelancing on the side?"

Brynn snorts in a very unladylike manner and said, "Who'd be interested?"

"More than half the male population between the ages of 16 to 22 would be my guess. If you ever decided to give them the chance."

"And why would I?" Brynn asked.

"True... after all you do have me so..." I smile at her smugly. "Anyone else at this point would be step down," I tease.

"Wow, a poor self image is not something you suffer from obviously."

"No, can't say that I do. Your Gran however, mentioned you dating. So, it's not like you've locked yourself away in a convent..."

Brynn rolls her eyes at me and sits back against the booth. Her eyes narrow and her arms cross her chest. She's assessing me with her gaze before saying, "I've never had a real boyfriend. Dates, yes. Boyfriends... no."

"Is that the reason you were never kissed?" I couldn't imagine spending an entire evening with Brynn and not wanting to kiss her...hell I wanted to kiss her right now. I watch as color graces her cheeks and realize my thoughts must have translated themselves to her somehow.

"Some had tried but I don't know... it never felt ... right."

"Maybe you're gay?" I dodge as milkshake gets blasted at me from across the table. Brynn is coughing, sputtering and muttering something I can't quite comprehend.

"Give a guy some warning will you?" I steal a few napkins to clean up the table and the sleeve of my shirt.

"Thanks for inquiring after my well being," Brynn chokes out.

"You're fine. I've never heard of any death's by milkshakes on the news and if it were a thing, five year olds would be keeling over in kindergarten during recess from milk coming out of their noses over the latest knock-knock joke."

"I see your point," she concedes. "No, I'm not gay."

"If you ever wish to prove that point. I am totally up for you kissing me anytime you feel like it." She blushes again and I love it.

"You're shameless."

"It kinda goes hand in hand with that whole ego thing," I tell her. I take her hand in mine, grin and say, "Brynn, are you okay?"

"Yes," she looks at me a bit nervously.

"Then let's get some lunch."

She smiles and I call over the waitress. Soon our orders are placed and even sooner our food is on the table.

I find out Brynn spends most of her time with her Gran and they are pretty much best friends. She doesn't really have other friends in her life mostly because of keeping to herself.

"What about Adam?" I ask her.

"What about him?"

"Well, you two seem...close. You obviously talk outside of school."

"Green is not a good color for you," she says, taking a bite of her burger.

"Green? I'm not wearing... oh..." She thinks I'm jealous of Adam. Am I jealous of Adam? I don't think I have enough information about them to make up my mind definitively on the subject.

"Just curious," I say, as a swirl a fry around in my ketchup.

"Adam is the closest thing I have to a friend... I guess. We... trust each other."

I waited for more but nothing came. I thought to pursue it but truthfully talking about Adam during our second date seemed to be a bad use of our time.

"So, back to that whole... you don't like to share thing," she says, changing the subject to what I'm not sure yet.

"Yeah...?"

"I don't like to share either," she tells me. "What's mine is mine and I like to keep it that way."

"Why do I get the feeling we are no longer discussing food?"

"Because you're smart."

"Ah. So, what exactly are we talking about?"

"Just not that smart." She giggles at her own inside joke. "Must I spell it out for you?"

"It would be helpful... yes," I tell her.

"Fine." She sits back again against the booth and gives me that discerning look again.

"IF... we are to continue to date, I want exclusive rights to you. I don't want to share you with any other girl. If you want to date someone other than me, that's fine but you have to break up with me first and we are no longer going to date."

I sit back and fold my arms over my chest, mimicking her earlier posture. "Sounds fair. You said, 'If?' Is there more to this?" I ask. I knew I'd agree to anything she asked for. I'd wear pink everyday if she told me it was her favorite color. Yeah, I'm hopeless.

She gets suddenly very serious. Her eyes are drilling their way through me. I brace myself for impact. "I want an open ended clause that I can back out of this relationship at any time... if it gets to be too much... or ... I think it best for my own reasons... with no hard feelings."

I unfold my arms and lean on the table. I stare back at her, hard and I see her squirm a little in her seat. "No, can do." I know I just said I would agree to anything but there was no way I'd let her go that easily.

She takes a deep breath, holds it for a second and lets it go slowly. "Why?"

"Because that's not how I operate. If I devote myself to something or someone... I'm all in. So, I'm fully vested. I can't just cut ties and disappear... waving goodbye over my shoulder saying, 'Later Brynn. Thanks for the memories'.'"

I see her thinking about it. She pulls further away from me and I see this as a bad sign as she really didn't have much room to go. "Then I don't think we should continue to date."

I felt her words like a punch to my gut. My mind raced... searching for the words that needed to be said.

"Coward."

She blinked and then blinked again. That obviously was not what she was expecting. Truthfully, it wasn't what I was expecting to come out either but now it was out there. I sit back giving her space again.

"What?!" She was angry, and for some reason I was glad. Anger I could handle. Apathy... well that's the kiss of death.

"You talk a great game, Brynn. You constantly philosophize about how life should be lived but the first moment your beliefs are tested, you want to run and hide. Isn't that a coward?"

She frowned at me and her brows furrowed together, giving me hope that I wasn't completely wrong or off base saying what I just said.

"I can't promise you anything...I don't know..." For once she seemed at a loss for words. I reached out and held my hand open to her. She didn't take it. I kept it there.

"I'm not asking you for promises, just a chance. You've got a lot on your plate when it comes to relationships. Believing that everyone is going to disappear on you the moment you start really caring. I'm asking you for a chance to prove you wrong."

She was shaking her head... "I don't think..."

"Stop thinking, Brynn. Just do and see where it takes you... Isn't that your way? Isn't that what you keep telling me I'm missing in my life. I want this chance, but in order for me to use it, I have to know you're not going to run the moment things get hard, or seem bad for some reason... I have to know you're willing to stick it out with me. I promise to be honest with you, always. No secrets. No hidden agenda."

I moved my hand again, bringing her attention to it. "Just a chance, Brynn? Is all I ask... a chance and exclusive rights to you. Because, you're right, I really don't like to share. How 'bout it, Brynn? Is it a deal?"

She looked scared to death, but then to my surprise took my hand.

"Deal."

Outwardly, I gave her hand a squeeze and what I hoped was a reassuring smile. Inwardly, I was totally FREAKING OUT, doing a kung fu happy dance of joy. Oh, Brynn, you will not regret this decision.