“So what did you think?” Carolyn asked, slipping her fingers into mine.

“Ugh,” I said. “Movies like that are precisely why I hate romantic comedies. They’re all completely full of shit.”

“You think so?”

“Yes, of course. Things are never like that. They never tackle the hard issues, pretending that jealousy doesn’t exist, and in the rare times they do, it’s only ever parodied for the sake of cheap laughs. They never show relationships as they actually are. I mean, while that guy is on his stupid trip, his girlfriend is probably sleeping with her ex or taking it from behind by some stranger she met in a bar, but of course that never occurs to him,” I said, and as easily as that, I had become defensive, but it wasn’t entirely because of the movie. I suddenly realized that Carolyn’s actions from the night before had lingered in my thoughts the entire day; I was still suspicious of where she had stayed and upset at the prospect of having been lied to.

“Jesus,” she said with distaste, and I couldn’t blame her, either.

“I could tell you liked it, though,” I said, hearing the edge in my voice, and despite not wanting it there, I knew that Caroline had detected it also.

“Oh yeah, and why’s that?”

“What do you mean? You kept laughing and gripping my hand and looking over at me during all the stupid funny parts.”

She let go of my hand then and shook her head. “For your information, I didn’t like it either, Stratton. I thought it was bad. I kept laughing because I was thrilled to be there with you, feeling your hand on my knee. God, why do you always do that?”

“Do what?” I asked, and the edge in my voice had grown sharper. I was tense, and perhaps I wanted to fight, for I had ignored the kind things she had actually said in order to focus on the one negative.

“Make shit up in your head and then convince yourself that it’s true.”

“Oh give me a break. I don’t do that.”

“You do it all the time! Always! And what’s even worse is that if I really did like the movie, then you’d think it was some kind of slight toward you.”

“Bullshit, Carolyn,” I said. “I would not have.”

“Yes, you would. Anytime somebody has a different opinion than you, you always think it’s some kind of personal affront. It’s maddening!”