The SHORT version...

So theres this boy.... and I love him more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. Seriously. It's like almost ridiculous. He puts up with all of my weirdness, and stupid stories, and random late night texts... but, he also lives 1034 miles away. One. Thousand. Thirty. Four. Miles. 

We met (for the second time as he likes to say) on February 18th of last year. I was hanging out with my friends Brooke Travis and Allie Delp & we were trying to figure out what th;e hell we were going to do that night. Well, I got a text from this kid, Blake asking me what I was doing and about a half an hour later the girls and I were headed to the Albertsons parking lot to meet him and a few friends in the parking lot and follow them up to Blake's aunts house that he was house sitting. I got out of the car and instantly noticed the boy walking in toward the driveway in front of me. I must've "noticed" a bit too long because Brooke made some smartass remark about it. Anywhoo we hung around Blakes aunts house that night and played random drinking games for a couple hours. This boy and I started talking and kind of jokingly flirting back and forth, he was making fun of me for uhm... knowing.. a friend of his. A while later I noticed he was sitting in the living room playing Cut the Rope on his friends phone. Now, not to toot my own horn or anything but, I may or may not be a damn STUD at that game, and I knew it'd give me a reason to talk to him, so i took a deep breath waltzed my happy ass over to the living room, plopped down on the floor right next to him and schooled his ass in some cut the rope action;) As we were sitting there talking I specifically remember, we were petting Blakes aunts dog, and both terrified, our pinkys touched. He slowing grabbed mine and I looked at him. In that moment, looking directly at him and just watching the way he talked and moved and idk... worked, I was hooked. . It was fascinating to me, he was fascinating to me...  how after one night of meeting someone I was so entranced by who they are, what they are interested in, how they spend their time & I instantly wanted to know everything there was to know about this boy. So of course, I made some silly comment about how we had to hang out more so he'd have to text me (which by the way he made me text him first) 

We talked over the next couple weeks, constantly && when I say constantly, I mean, CON-STANT-LY. It was ridiculous. Within a week, he knew more about me and seemed honestly interested in things I had to say, and things i did more than anyone had ever been throughout my entire life. We talked about food, and movies, and how absolutely amazing each other were. I truly believe it was in this week of not even seeing, touching or physically talking to each other ONCE that I knew he was different. The following weekend we hung out at my house, (well, we started at his house but when I mentioned my mom wasn't home and we would all be alone, we ended out at my house) my mom was at her boyfriends house and him, his friend, and my friend Brooke all came here to watch a movie & hang out. Let me telll you, I cant remember one thing about that movie, what it was called, who was in it, anything. It wasnt my focus that night.. I guess you could say I had uhm, something (or someone) else on my mind:) We went upstairs in my room so I could show him something (that also SOOOOMEHOW slips my mind), and as I turned to walk out the door to walk back downstairs he said my name. I turned around and BAM, Best First Kiss Of My Whole Entire Life. <33 

"Riley, Did you know this was going to happen when you came here" 

"Nope, I just hoped" 

The next few weeks we hung out every day. When we werent hanging out, we were talking, or texting or something. I was addicted..... I was happy. The happiest I'd ever known. He helped me through a couple pretty hard times and I found myself being able to tell this boy anything, things that I thought I would never be able to tell anyone. Things that I'd never wanted anyone to know. And the strangest thing to me was that he listened... he genuinely cared about what I was saying. :)

I can honestly say we were inseparable for the next month and a half, I'd stay the night at his house and he'd take me home, allll the way in Richland before he went to school. Oh the things this boy did for me :) 
He went New York rightttt before my birthday. I remember saying bye the night before he left, making him promise to text me and send me lots of cool pictures && giving him shit about being gone during my birthday. Thats when he told me that when he got back he was going to take me on a date... a real. live. date. 

Well, you seeeee, I had never been on a date before... and let me tell you, the second he said "date" I was probably the most excited girl, in the whole entire world.  

 Of course, you already know, we texted the WHOLE time he was gone. I even watched the basketball game he went to on TV just so I could MAYBE catch a glimpse of his perfect curly hair (Which I did, byyyy the way!) 

When he came back we went on our date. We went to this place called Monterossas (yes I know, I desperately need spell check, bite me!)  I was soooo nervous I could barely eat. It was EASILY the most romantic thing, ever. Something that will forever be absolutely impossible to erase from the depths of my mind. 

As we were wrapping up dinner, he ever so nonchalantly asked, "How much do you think the check is for?" (He always finds a way to bring out the competitive side of me) and of course we made bets on how much it was. (I was the winner, ps). When the check came, I opened it up and my mouth dropped. Like hit the floor. Inside the book, was a piece of paper that said, "Prom?" 

God I love that boy. Sorry, getting carried away. ANYWAY. I freaked out. Hands down best most surprised, happy, perfect, wonderful way I'd ever been asked to a dance. Hands down best damn moment. AHHHH! <33333 Of course, I said yes, but that comes later in the story. 

That night I went back to his house with him and we were laying in his bed just talking, he was making fun of me because I apparently used him because I loved his family. 

"No, I love you"

I honestly hadnt even meant to, or tried to say it at all. We both got kind of serious and he asked me what I'd just said. Of course, i giggled and said, Nothing! Of course, he finally got it out of me. Even though he knew the whole time, I think he just liked hearing me say it;) He then replied with. "I love you too" 

Now, I've said I love you to a boy before, but I'd never really meant it to anyone but my mother and brother before this moment. We laid in bed talkiing and giggling for the rest of the night. That night he also asked me to officially be his girlfiriend. I don't think I've ever had a more proud moment, than laying next to him just after that, knowing that I was his girlfriend. Riley Holt Hayfield's girlfriend.  

So, maybe we did things a little backwards, starting with falling for each other, winding our way through the twists and turns of love and ending with officially being together, but I love it.  To me, things that aren't always stereotypically perfect, make them more than just perfect. It makes them real. Unfortunately, in the beginning of July I was a dumbass and fucked up, but what doesnt kill us makes us stronger, and I believe that goes for relationships to.. and obviously neither of us are dead because we just spent the last three hours talking on phone and skyping each other talking about the past...present...and future<33