Ashton was nervous about telling her how attracted he was to her. He wasn't sure why, though. She was an attractive woman and he had been told he was good looking. Perhaps it was the feeling of rejection that made him scared. He didn't want to lose her as a friend, but he was quickly realizing just how much their relationship was changing. He wasn't happy with just friends. He wanted more...and that terrified him.
But when she told him that the feeling was mutual, he felt as though he had released the breath he didn't know he was holding. It was like relief washed over him, cleansing him and telling him not to worry. It was freeing...even if she didn't understand what she was doing to him.
He had never really had someone he was interested in and never really had any close guy friends that he could go to. He didn't really know where to go from here. Did he let it be awkward? Ruin the friendship? Did he just ask her out? He was so inexperienced that this whole thing was horribly uncomfortable for him.
When she spoke, he looked up to her with a nervous grin. "No offense, Malia..." He started before his voice trailed off. "...I don't want to just hang out. I want to date you." He wanted to take her to dinners, to spend hours at the arcade losing to every game she challenged him to. He wanted to just sit next to her and watch TV or talk long into the night. He wanted more than just hanging out and avoiding how he felt about her. He wanted more.