It was the only time anyone had said “bet you a million” that Carly believed there could be that actual bet, on his side at least.

“She’s only afraid of you. She thought you might take the painting or even hurt her.”

“Do you imagine that’s reassuring? Is there anything more dangerous than an animal that’s afraid?”

“Do you think I didn’t notice that you didn’t say you weren’t going to do any of those things?” Carly took a sip of her soda. The bubbles went all the way into her blood.

Owen played it like tennis. “And you think I should just take your assessment of the situation? You think it’s reasonable for me to forget what I know about Marcelline and her very bad judgment when it comes to this particular thing?”

“But you don’t know it. You just wonder about it. Besides, don’t you have to buy it no matter what? Isn’t that your job?”

“All I have to do is say that it didn’t work out. Do you imagine anyone’s going to call me a liar?”

Carly looked at him over the lid of her tilted cup. The sweetness was outpacing the wet in the third sip. She wasn’t thirsty anymore.

She sighed. “I can tell that you like being different from everyone else. It’s your thing. That’s always your advantage. Well, almost always. Sometimes it sucks being a unicorn, doesn’t it?”

The idea she was having came with a pause here that she only sort of understood, so she took another unwanted sip for something to do while it worked in her.

He shifted just a little in his chair and tilted his head like he was bored-listening. But he was listening just the same.

“But it’s not working out the way you planned. And because it’s me sitting here and not her, you’re mad. You’re saying she’s being tricky. And that she might be planning to hurt you. You’re saying that she’s doing what you would do in this situation.

“So you’re different when you want to be, but when you don’t want to do something, all of a sudden, everyone’s the same.”

“Did you just call me a chicken?”

“No. Nobody wants to get attacked. I don’t blame you. But I don’t count. I’m just a kid, not a fancy loner guy.” She waved her hand at his slick blue suit to punctuate the point. “It’s easy for me to see how you’re different from Marcelline. She’s not going to attack you. She just wants to go home.”

“And what does Jonathan want?”

Carly thought toward John. There wasn’t much there. “I don’t know.”

“So you’ve known Jonathan for years and Marcelline for a few days, but you understand her more than you understand him?”