Kissing was simple - the act, at least, if not the whole complicated mental dance involved - and liking was natural, and when he touched her hand, when he smiled like that, a smile of her own didn't take any effort. It just came naturally, unbidden. And talking, well, that was usually her strong point. Feelings, though, were messy, troubling, and she'd never been any good at talking about him. And yet, in this moment right here, this gap, it seemed like the thing she needed to do.

"Yeah, so," she said, ducking her head a little, turning her hand against his, "I don't know if you got the memo, but... I kinda like you. A little."