He couldn't respond to that. It would be giving himself too much away if he suggested that they think of their previous excursions as 'dates.' "... Me too," he said finally.

And here was the motorbike to save him from having to say anything more. "Here." He picked up the helmets and handed her one. "It'll just be a short ride." He attempted a smile. "Like old times."

He then quickly turned away so she wouldn't see him wince. Why had he said that? He was making too many mistakes. It was always like that; he was always losing his cool around her. Maybe not in the ways people would notice, but even an idiot would notice if too many mistakes piled up. Until now, he'd never thought of them as 'mistakes,' either. He needed a better word. But why bother, at this stage? "Sorry," he said quietly as he turned back around. "I'm...nervous."