Does it change a person to hear someone say they love you for the very first time? Can you stay impartial and act normally, as if it never happened? No. At least Renee couldn't. The moment she heard those words, the sides of her mouth rose into a beautiful, genuine smile. All was forgotten. Was Dean hiding something? What it mattered? I love you, Renee was echoing in her head, poisoning her brain. It was an elixir which made her lose her consciousness. It's magic. You're self-aware, arguments floating in your mind, ready to strike because a fight is almost inevitable, and then nothing. Those three magical words help the criminal escape. You become their victim; they gain control over your brain and body. There's nothing you can do to change it. Only few people are that powerful that they can overcome the effect of the words, pronounced in a voice that makes you lose strength in your knees and makes it hard for you to stand. There is a way to escape, though. But you can't feel the same. When you do, when you love that person just as they claim to love you, you're helpless. In the fight that hasn't even started, you're the loser. Then, after it's long over, you realize you let the victim escape. Unpunished. What is worse, it doesn't matter to you. You believe in love and its power to change the world. You're stupid. You're naïve. But you can't help yourself and you can't be helped.

Dean watched her from across the table. She was eating an apple, absently looking at the floor. Dean looked there as well. All he saw was a big triangle in the middle, with open edges. Annoying, he thought. But that couldn't be the reason she was looking there. She stopped now anyway and went back to reading her book. Apple in one hand, book on the table. She used her right hand to turn the pages.

Seth was sitting next to her and Dean saw him glancing at her book and occasionally reading some lines. Renee didn't seem to have noticed.

On her left side, there was Jey Uso. But he was busy joking around with his brother, distracting him from eating.

Dean wasn't hungry. He took his phone and placed it below the top of the table so that it couldn't be seen, more or less. He typed in, You look beautiful today, and sent it to Renee. Then he waited for her to read the message. As he thought, she smiled and looked at him when she read it. He saw her typing something too. And you have a stain on your shirt. Then she went back to eating and reading her book, which Seth was happy about because he seemed to have finished the page and now waited for Renee to finish it too and turn it to the next one. Dean wrote, asking, What chapter are you on? He wasn't curious. He just knew that she would have to check, going back to the first page of the chapter which has its number on it. This would test Seth's patience and that's what Dean wanted. To get him mad. And Renee did exactly what Dean predicted. When she typed the answer and hit send, Seth realized what was happening. He looked at Dean with a you bastard eyes while Dean admitted his crime with a vicious smile.

Then he started a new message. With a new recipient. We need to stop seeing each other.

And to Renee, August 18, 2014. He immediately got a response. What is that? she asked. Both by text and expression. Dean smiled. Raw in Vegas. She still didn't get the meaning. And? He replied, I'm gonna have a question for you that day. Just thought you should keep that date in mind. She got interested. What question?

A second later he got another message. So you've finally made up your mind? He answered this text first. I think so. But I need to see you one last time.

He returned to the conversation with Renee. Don't be impatient. I'll ask August 18. After Raw. He didn't mind writing to two different people at the same time. It could be dangerous; what if he sent the message to the wrong person, for example? No. He was being careful. It couldn't happen to him. But he liked the danger.

He got an answer from Cassie. I don't like goodbyes. Dean already knew that but it wouldn't make him change his mind. I'll come to the wedding. He didn't get another reply. But he would come; he had to. It would be wrong to finish things off with her other way than in person.

Should I be worried? Renee asked. No. Not at all. She had another question. Why are you telling me about it now? He answered, So that you can remind me in case I forget . And so that I cannot change my mind. Renee wanted to know more. What was it? she wondered. Is it something to look forward to? That was easy to answer. Definitely. By the way, you should go back to reading, Seth's getting nervous. Renee looked at him and yes, he was getting pretty anxious and enraged. But he was mad at Dean, not at her, for keeping her from turning that god damn page. Renee found it amusing. But she was kind; she didn't want to see Seth suffer, no matter how superficially. She closed the book and moved it in front of him. "Go ahead," she told him enthusiastically. Now that the book was closed and lying on the table, Dean had finally chance to see the cover. He raised his eyebrow when he thought of Seth being interested in that book. Dean didn't what it was about, he never heard that title before, but the expression "submit to love" seemed odd enough. Anyhow, Dean typed one more text message and sent it to the girl sitting in front of him. Let's get away from here. And he stood up. He had no assurance that Renee would follow him, but he believed that she would.

He waited outside, standing by the wall, arms crossed. To kill the time, he started whistling a familiar melody. When the door opened, he stopped. Before Renee noticed him, he stretched out his arm and grabbed her hand. He pulled her toward him. With his leg he kicked into the door to help close it. Quickly he got her standing right in front of him, his hand on her back but moving down. "I missed you," he whispered into her ear.

"I am with you all the time," she objected

"But we're never alone." He leaned toward her ear again. "I want you," he said slowly, seductively.

"Right here?"

"Right here," Dean confirmed.

"Right now?"

"Right now." Renee chuckled. She let him made out with her but she wouldn't go any further than that.

Still holding him around his neck, she separated her lips from his. "What's your big plan, Ambrose?"

"Plan?" he asked.

"August 18. Isn't that part of a plan or something?"

"I don't plan; don't you know?" he said excited. When he saw her confusion, he added, "But yeah, I guess you could call it a plan."

"Tell me about it," she begged, acting sweet and everything. "Please."

"Hmm, no. It's a surprise."

"For me? Or is anybody else involved?"

"No. It's all for you. And I'm sorry but you'll have to wait, my darling." Renee frowned to be more theatrical. Dean continued, "But I can tell you that it'll start with . . ."

"With?" she hurried him. He spoke too slowly.

"With saying . . ."

"Saying what?" she had to ask because he wouldn't keep talking by himself. The pauses were too long.

"You know what."

She thought she did. But if she was right, she wanted to hear it from him. "Well, say it. Please." She couldn't help but smile. It would be stupid if she was wrong, but she wasn't; she couldn't be. And although he had said it once, she wanted to hear it again. But Dean kissed her on the top of her head and stayed quiet. He was smiling. Caressing her lovely hair, his hand slipped by her ear and stopped on her neck. "You wanna hear it, huh?" he teased her. He leaned toward ear, making her think he would say those three words after all but she was let down. He transferred his lips to her neck. Starting with a soft kiss, his smile widened, which she couldn't see, and to her surprise, he bit her. Gently. He didn't want to hurt her. He was just being playful, having fun.

Does it change a person to say I love you for the very first time? Not necessarily. The change had already happened. Pronouncing those three words is a result of that change. Of course only in case you mean them. Maybe it's a lie. Maybe you're not aware that you're lying; you believe you feel it that way. Later you realize you were wrong. But this scenario is not inevitable. Perhaps you really are in love and you just cannot hide it any longer. You want everyone to know. Or you think that telling the person you care about most how you feel about them will make you obliged to stay honest and faithful. It is a responsibility. A new stage of the relationship starts. But saying those words, in case you really mean them, is a good thing; it means you are ready. Ready to let go of selfishness and prioritize happiness of the person you love. No. It doesn't change you. It only changes everything around you. It changes your whole life. Do you feel the pressure yet? No? Think again. You've just changed the direction of your future. You don't own it anymore. The decisions are no longer yours to make. Don't look back; yesterday's gone. So is your life. Are you scared? Then stop living in a lie; this life's not for you. Are you thrilled? Good. 'Cause the future starts now, and it's exciting.