Panicked after a great first date — did I ruin it?

Hey everyone,

I (28M) went on what felt like an amazing first date last week with a girl (26F). We met at my place — probably too intimate for a first date, but she was a little under the weather, and it actually felt warm and natural. I had sorted food and some wine. We talked for hours, laughed, shared stories, and even ended up cuddling and falling asleep together. Nothing sexual happened except kissing. That night, she said she’d like to see me again, which had me over the moon.

The next morning, I stayed a little longer cuddling with her before leaving, but I was also very late for work. She mentioned maybe seeing each other that weekend and asked if I had plans. I said no. Then as we parted in the street, she went for a cheek kiss and I tried to kiss her mouth — it was awkward.

After that, I panicked and started overthinking. I sent a teasing text after she left (“You should receive a call from my boss, I’ll let you explain yourself :)”), which I meant playfully, but I think it came off terribly. I kept sending small texts that day and the next, but her responses slowed until she went silent.

Saturday (the next day) was the day she’d mentioned being potentially free to meet. I wanted to plan something nice — drinks, dinner, an exhibit — so I just wrote that I hope I would get to see her (knowing she had other plans potentially), but got nothing. Sunday, I nudged again to see how she was feeling, and still nothing.

Finally, she replied Monday night:

I tried to be teasing again, but it may have come off cold (“Who is this?”). She saw it, didn’t reply. I followed up with:

She replied:

It hit me hard. I sent a long emotional message later in the week apologizing for moving fast and expressing what that night meant to me. She reacted with a heart on Instagram, but hasn’t said anything else.

It’s been four days since. I’m torn between leaving it alone or trying again in a week. I genuinely felt a connection that night, and I realize that I came on too strong afterward (I was sooo excited).

I don’t date that much, and definitely don't click as naturally. But with her, it felt real from the first hour. We shared so much, and intimacy without anything sexual made it feel deeper. Before meeting, we had talked about what we were looking for, and she said she was more into short term as she's leaving to Australia in 3 weeks. But it didn’t feel like that at all.

I really want to do things right. Did I completely blow it, or is there a chance to recover?

Thanks for your insights !
Happy to answer any questions, or missing details.