“No, don’t look—” I say, but it’s too late. Caleb has already turned his body away from me to look at Shady Guy. I stay angled toward him, hoping that Caleb can pass it off as looking around the park and not us staring at some stranger, but Caleb is not always the most subtle person on the planet.

“Okay, he was definitely looking at us, because now he’s coming over here,” Caleb whispers frantically, turning back and leaning into my space.

“Shit,” I mutter. What did I just get us into?

“Oh god, what if he’s like, a crazy homophobe coming over here to try and save us from damnation or something?” Caleb says, complete panic on his face. That thought hadn’t occurred to me, but it is far more likely than what I’m imagining. And surprisingly, less terrifying.

“What if he’s a dangerous mutant coming over here to kill us?” I rasp, and Caleb gives me a dubious look.

“I seriously doubt that,” he says, and I’m about to rebut when I hear—

“Hey there.”

Caleb and I unfurl from the closed-parentheses position our bodies were making on the bench to see Shady Guy looming over us. He’s smiling blankly and we should just get up and leave like you’re supposed to when a crazy person approaches you in public, but I’m stuck.

“Um … hi?” Caleb’s arm moves slightly closer around me as he turns his body toward Shady Guy, and it brings me a modicum of comfort.

“Hi,” I say, for absolutely no good reason at all.

“Do I know you?” Shady Guy asks.

“No, I don’t think so.” Caleb shakes his head.

“Are you sure? I could have sworn I’ve seen you around before.” Shady Guy gives a broad smile and, against my better judgement, I’m a bit charmed by it. “Say, are you one of Dr. B.’s patients? Dr. Bright, that is.”

“Um, yes,” Caleb answers. “Yeah, I am.”

“Caleb,” I whisper, “what are you doing?” It’s one thing to make small talk with a stranger—it’s another thing entirely to tell him about your therapist. And any other information that having said specific therapist might imply.

Shady Guy invites himself to sit, settling down on the other side of Caleb, and I give a weak protest, hoping to end whatever this is before it starts.

“Oops, looks like your friend doesn’t want me to join you,” Shady Guy says, leering at us.

“Boyfriend,” I mumble, wrong-footed, and then I’m instantly angry and embarrassed that I chose this moment to say that word out loud for the first time, without even consulting Caleb first.

“Good for you,” he condescends. “Do you mind if I talk to your boyfriend for a moment?”