Don’t date the boy who sends you mixed signals. The boy who compliments you one day, who acts interested in you one day, and then disappears for the next three days. The boy who has a limit on how much he can offer you, who pulls away when he feels like you’re edging too close.
Don’t date the boy who claims he isn’t ready for a serious relationship. The boy who forces himself not to spend too much time with you, because he’s afraid of how deep his feelings for you will grow.
Don’t date the boy who wants to stay single, who doesn’t want to see what your relationship could lead toward, because he’ll only hurt you in the end.
Instead, date the boy who wants the world to know that you’re together. Who invites you to holiday parties so you can meet his cousins. Who holds your hand during dates so everyone knows you’re a couple. Who brags about you to all of his friends because he can’t believe he got so lucky.
Date the boy who makes his feelings for you obvious. The boy who isn’t afraid to admit that he is attracted to you, that he misses you when you aren’t around, that he wants to spend more time with you.
Date the boy who is honest with you, even if it’s hard for him. The boy who will tell you the truth, because he believes you deserve to hear it. The boy who won’t hide his feelings in order to look more manly or unemotional.
Date the boy who is unafraid of labels. Who will make it clear he’s asking you on a date instead of casually referring to it as hanging out. The boy who will introduce you as his girlfriend and change his relationship status on Facebook instead of acting like you’re just a friend.
Date the boy who is willing to be vulnerable with you. Who will tell you about the time that he got his heart broken. Who will let himself cry in front of you. Who will reveal the parts of himself that he keeps hidden from the rest of the world.
Date the boy who isn’t afraid of his love for you, who isn’t afraid to commit to you. The boy who will not run away when he hears the word marriage or gets into a conversation with you about baby names. The boy who is serious about spending forever with you.
Date the boy who reminds you how much he cares every single day. The boy who kisses your forehead before bed and your lips before you leave for work. The boy who reaches out to touch you every time you get close enough. The boy who makes I love you a daily phrase.
Date the boy who never makes you doubt his feelings for you. Who never makes you question whether he’s happy or not, whether he’s getting bored or is still invested. The boy who everyone can tell loves you as deeply as you love him. 
Holly Riordan is the author of Lifeless Souls, available here.
