My heart threatened to punch out my ribcage. I never planned on saying it first. Second maybe, somewhere far in the future, when it was a safe, sure bet. Except safe and sure were empty words in the face of this feeling filling me up and the clarity I no longer wanted to hide.

I took a deep breath and ripped the Band-Aid off. "I love you." I counted off twelve heartbeats before I punched him. "Say something."

The joy in his smile was so palpable that if I reached out, I ...