Hi, i'm relatively new to game and i've been in this kind of situation before, but before i learnt about the community i didn't know who to turn to, so i need your help to try rectify this situation.

I've been at university 2 years and been friends with this girl for that period of time (yes, that same old chestnut).
i became really close friends with her since this february, and during this period she broke up with her boyfriend. our friendship (through my slow and steading new knowledge of gaming) finally escalated to us sleeping together 2 weeks ago. obviously very pleased with this as we get on amazinging well, she is stunning, and she even questioned why we hadn't got together prior to that night (bad game on my part not reading the ioi's correctly, but i really liked the girl so didn't want to mess it up)
now, my dilemma is this.....after we slept together, i didn't really know what to do. i am not used to getting with girls i have any intention of forming any meaningful relationship with and tend to just have one-night stands and didn't have a clue what to do after sleeping with this girl i had been after for ages and actually really liked.
Now, these past couple of weeks have been quite strange. I saw her out next night but it was wierd as i wasn't sure if she wanted to get with me again or not. she text me in the morning appologising for being odd with me and said she had some stuff going on and was sorry i was getting dragged into it. i gave her a couple days space and then went back to being normal to her how we were before we slept together cus i didn't want her to think i would be off with her, so had good banter and was all gd.

But now, i saw her a few days ago with a few friends for a night out (we've left uni now for the summer, she lives quite close to me) and i really wanted to be with her, but i was not sure how to approach it becuase, again, i didn't want to get rejected if she thinks it was just a one night thing we had.

My final point, which brings up my question, is this. I am actually 2 months away from leaving home to study abroad for 9 months. I know i have no chance of a relationship as a 9 month long distance relationship in unlikely, but i am seeing her in a few days with some friends, and really wanna try correct my mistakes of failing to continue on the level of more than just friends which i achieved.
so, 1) how do i go about returning to this state and showing that i actually really like her? Is it best for me to just man up and tell her i like her, sayin i hope i can spend as much time with her before i leave and hope she feels the same way (which is a clear possibility as we get on really well and she evidently wanted to get with me for a while) and if so, what should i say? -or- do i try a different approach?

and 2) what should i have done so if this situation ever happens again, i don't mess it up?

Cheers for the help guys.