"Baby!"

Troy laughed, wrapping his arms around me as I jumped onto him. "Hey!"

I hugged him as tight as I possibly could. It was my first time seeing him in two weeks, the longest I've gone without seeing him since I've known him. Yes, even when we took that little break, I still saw him in class. But whatever. That's besides the point right now.

Right now, my boyfriend just got home from a family trip to Portland, Seattle and Vancouver and I'm so, so, SO excited he's home.

"I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you, too," he puts me down and then kisses me, "wish you could have came with."

"Next time," I tell him, feeling comfortable enough to say that. I feel like I could go on family trips with them, even though I haven't gotten to know his family THAT well yet. I feel like I'd be more than welcomed to come. And that it won't be weird since we're both adults. "But how was it? You had fun?"

He nodded, closing the door behind him, "yeah, it was a lot of fun. Much needed family time. We haven't all been together in a while so it was really nice."

I bet it was.

After graduation, he settled into his apartment here for a bit with his friend and then embarked on a two week trip.

And I really missed him. More than I thought I would.

But I hung out with my family a lot, Summer and I headed to Santa Barbara one weekend and made a girls day out of it. I was fine. I didn't need him around, I just wanted him to be. Because I love being with him and every day, we're just getting stronger and stronger. Everything's just so great.

"How have you not asked me what's in the bag yet?" Troy laughed as we walked to the living room.

"That was my next question."

He smiled at me as we took a seat on the couch. He was carrying a bag, and it looked to be filled to the top. I have no idea what it was. I mean, it's not my birthday or anything. It's not any type of anniversary. So, really, I have no idea.

But then he handed it to me. "Got you a few things on my trip. You know, just to let you know I was thinking about you."

"You didn't have to do that," I tell him, but grab the bag again.

"I wanted to," he says, "so cliche..."

I laugh and immediately open the bag. I really wanted to know what was inside.

And I wasn't disappointed one bit because there were three sweatshirts in here. I mean, anyone who knows me knows I LOVE sweatshirts and I basically collect them so this is the best gift imaginable. It really, really is. And he got me THREE!? Ahhhh.

They were from each place he went to. So Portland, Seattle and Vancouver and they were the cutest, ever!

It didn't just say the city name on it, nah, they were college sweatshirts and even though I didn't go to those colleges and my heart belongs to UCSD always, I'm in love with college sweatshirts and call wear them all day, everyday. So I collect them. I ask my friends for sweaters from their colleges. It's just something I do so this is great. I love it. I love it so much.

"You know me so well," I tell him as I'm leaning over to give him a kiss, 'but you didn't have to get me all three, babe."

"Who do you know that lives in Vancouver or goes to school in Seattle and Portland?"

True. "You're right. I'll just say thanks."

Troy laughs and leans back on the couch, "you're welcome."

I sat back with him and wrapped my arm around him and we just laid there together. I missed him. I'm falling more and more for him and I know I'm in love with him. I know I'm there. I just haven't had the guts to say it to him. And I'm not scared he's not there yet, I'm just a little scared it'll change everything because I don't want anything to change. We're good. We're so good. And it really hasn't been that long, but I know I love him.

And I know I don't see an end to this anytime soon. That's how you know you love someone, right?

"So, you know we leave to Nashville in two weeks," he brings it up, "you ready?"

"I'm SO excited!"

"I'm excited, too. You've heard all about Charlie and you'll finally get to meet him, he'll finally get to meet you. It'll be fun."

It will be fun. I'm excited to get away. Cooper and Julia are coming, too, so it's like a little couple getaway and I'm so excited. I love hanging with them and with Troy. And I've been dying to visit Nashville. It couldn't come fast enough, to be honest, but it's going to be here before I know it.

And before we go, I kind of want to tell him how I feel.

About a month ago, I was over at his place, his roommate was gone for the weekend and it just happened.

We had sex.

And we've been having sex sporadically ever since then. It feels so right.

But I wanna be doing it the right way. I wanna be doing it the way it's supposed to be done... when you're in love with , when you're married, but that ship has sailed. Honestly, I probably was in love with him when we first did it, but now I know for sure and I want him to know and I want our relationship to be honest. I want to be in a place where everything just lines up. The love, the sex, the respect. All of it.

So here goes nothing...

"Hey," I look up at him, his arm over me now and my head on his chest, "I think I really love you."

Troy's eyes immediately locked with me and a small smile appeared on his face. "Well, that's good, because I think I really love you."

When I knew I was falling for him, the last thing I ever wanted to do was just blurt that out or tell him I love him in a weird place or something. I wanted everything to be perfect. Maybe before we were about to have sex, and there were candles burning and music playing and everything like that.

But the simplicity of it... the fact that I just said it so simply, that right there was the best way it could have gone.

I'm in my apartment, I'm sitting on the couch with my boyfriend and I just told him I loved him for the first time and he told me as well.

And I don't think I would have wanted it to be anywhere else, but here.

Here is perfect.

"I love you," I tell him again, "I really do."

He sits up a little, which causes me to move my head from his chest and unwrap my arms and sit up as well. "I do, too. I think I've loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you, as cheesy as that is, but I do. And I can't see an end to this and I wanna keep sharing my life with you."

God, he's perfect. And he's all mine. And I really do love him. And everything we are together.

"Me too," I whisper before I lean forward and kiss him.

He kisses back, the most passionate kiss we've had so far and then gives me a kiss on the forehead, "I love you."

Man oh man. I'm back in it. I'm back in a relationship where I'm in love.

But this time, it's different. I know it is.

It's better.