“Serena,” Luke said. He took a step toward her, looking menacing or amorous, who’s to say, either one, both. “It’s not what you’re imagining. You know how I feel about you.”

Next to me, Laurel covered her eyes, and I thought of my father, who always covered his eyes at the disturbing parts of the movies we saw together, only to peek through his fingers. He did the same thing when my mother and I would argue: he covered his face, he peeked. I think he peeked less at the real world, though. He could keep his fingers safely closed there. There was nothing to miss; he’d seen it all before.

Serena ignored him, spoke only to Janet. “I thought you understood what we were trying to do. I thought you wanted the same thing we did.” Her tone was cool, controlled, but her hands were in fists at her sides.

“Levitation isn’t real,” Janet said. “Or if it is, it doesn’t matter. I don’t know why I let you convince me it did.”

“This wasn’t how it was supposed to be,” Serena said.

“This is how it is,” Janet said.

“Don’t you see who he is?” Serena said. She sounded almost sad. “Don’t you understand? He’s a bad person, Janet. He doesn’t deserve you. He doesn’t deserve anything good.”

“Hang on,” Luke said.

“Everyone has desire,” Janet said. “You’re the only one who thinks it’s wrong. We would all just be enjoying our lives if you weren’t here.”

“Oh, would you?” Serena snapped. “Is that what you’ve been doing with Luke, enjoying your life? Or were you measuring yourself by what some man wants, like you always do? Or were you trying to win at everything, no matter the cost, like you always do?”

“At least I’m not delusional,” Janet said.

“Just admit that you’re jealous, Serena,” Luke said.

There was a beat of silence. Someone in the audience coughed.

“Jesus Christ,” Serena said.

“Then why do you knock on my door?” Luke said. He looked like a stranger to me now, harder, older. “Why do you beg me to come to your tent? To touch you?” I admit to being shocked by this. But of course, I knew nothing about any of them.

“You know why,” she said quietly.

“You’re a tease,” Luke said. “That’s the truth. You offer and offer and take your goddamn clothes off and twirl, but you never go through with it. You can see how a guy would get tired.”