I looked at Ryan and knew he had waited for me for too long. I found it hard to answer his question because I didn’t want to hurt him.

I considered how we were during college and remembered him caring for me when I returned home during my freshman year. Ryan was always attentive, yet he kept a distance and never crossed boundaries.

So, I only saw him as an elder brother from the neighborhood.

"Perhaps I would have," I answered honestly, "You never gave me the chance to consider things in that