I can’t. I can’t.

And if I know you at all, you don’t want me to stop either. Because if I stop, if we all stop, it will be gone. And you can’t get it back. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Beat. A long Moment. The room is still. No one moves.

LIAM

You know what all this late night Vassar dorm room Hillel Club conversation sounds like to me?

DAPHNA

Like Nazis, I know.

LIAM

No.

DAPHNA

Like white supremacists.

LIAM

No no. It sounds to me like, you sound like someone who’s never been in love.

DAPHNA

What?

LIAM

You sound—

DAPHNA

That’s not true. That’s not even true. Gilad and I— if you ever took an interest in anyone other than yourself, you would know, Gilad and I are getting married.

LIAM

Pause.

I don’t think Gilad is real.

DAPHNA

Uhm, ok, are we getting like Plato cave reality bullshit now? Cause I can show you his profile on Facebook?

LIAM

If you were in love with someone, in reality, not in your imagination, but in reality, if anyone had ever loved you—

DAPHNA

Gilad loves me.

LIAM

If Gilad really loved you, you would understand what Melody and I are all about. But you don’t. Because you’ve never had that. And you know what? I bet you never will.

DAPHNA

Wow. Thank you.

LIAM

You’re welcome.

I love this woman.

I love you.

And this obviously isn’t how I had planned for this to go, but here we are, in this horrible situation, and the only way I’m surviving it is … If things had gone as planned, I would have told you the story about how my grandfather met a woman who made him want to live after he’d been through the worst things a person can go through, and obviously that hasn’t been my experience, but when I told him I found someone who made me feel that way—

DAPHNA

He was in a coma!

LIAM

He said, then you need to—

DAPHNA

He didn’t say anything. He couldn’t talk!

LIAM

You ask that girl to marry you. So Melody, will you marry me?

MELODY

Liam.

LIAM

You want me to get on my knees? I will get on my knees. Melody: Will you marry me?

MELODY

Yes.

LIAM stands up. They kiss. He takes the chai and begins to put it around MELODY’s neck.

LIAM

This belongs to you now.

DAPHNA

Don’t put that …

Don’t you put that …

DON’T YOU FUCKING PUT THAT AROUND HER NECK!

He puts the chai around MELODY’s neck. She is moved, and uncomfortable.

DAPHNA explodes.

DAPHNA

NO!

DAPHNA grabs the chai and tries to rip it off MELODY’s neck. MELODY cries out in pain. LIAM grabs DAPHNA and tries to pull her off. MELODY is choking. JONAH tries to separate the women, but someone grabs at his forearm in the process. He yelps in pain and backs away.

DAPHNA

THIS. DOESN’T. BELONG. TO. YOU.

DAPHNA succeeds in ripping the chain off MELODY’s neck. MELODY falls to a puddle on the floor. DAPHNA, breathless, holds the chai balled up in her closed fist and paces while LIAM comforts MELODY, who doesn’t move.