“I’ve still got mad feelings for her”

Ryan, 23, is a security officer from Cumbria

It was an ordinary night out, and things were winding down, when suddenly my mate grabbed me. He dragged me across the bar, threw me at this absolutely stunning girl and said, “Ryan, this is Georgia. She’d like to meet a nice guy.” As a reflex, I kissed her hand, and we got talking. We swapped Facebook handles, and three weeks later she invited me to a party. I was really nervous to see her again, but I was prepared – I’d gone for a haircut and was looking fresh. I was new to dating but within three months I was in love. I remember Georgia was weirdly passionate about tea, and we once went to this tea shop together. I’d never seen her more alive, running around, grinning. In that moment, it just fell out of my mouth: “I love you, you know?”

Spending time together was difficult because we were so young, couldn’t drive and lived in villages with very little public transport. Plus, Georgia was always looking at the bigger picture. When she broke up with me, it was hard to take. I’d fallen for her. But if she’d stayed with me, she would never have experienced all the things that she has.

Meeting up again years later felt like an opportunity. I’m not a scrawny little boy any more, so I thought that something could potentially happen between us. We had so much to catch up on and were so busy drinking cocktails and enjoying ourselves that we didn’t really discuss the past. Georgia’s even more attractive in real life than she looks on social media; she’s so well-spoken and classy. I found myself wondering how 16-yearold Ryan ever managed to win her over.