‘I think I love you.’ The soft tone turned my head more than the words as I glanced over at her. We were sitting on the grass at a local park, watching the ducks feed happily on stale pieces of bread tossed to them by noisy children on the opposite embankment. The sun was setting, her face had that golden glow which seems to help anyone appear that much more beautiful.

I stared at her a moment before I answered. I hoped I had misread the look on her face and glanced back at the water, tearing off a piece of grass and shredding the single blade, piece by piece. ‘Think? I think that I need to try harder.’ I smiled, fervently hoping she would take the graceful way out, or say something to prove my conclusion wrong.

I felt her lean in and looked back at her. Her eyes searched my face before she spoke again. ‘Haven’t you ever considered us being together, D?’

Damn it. I kept my tone light, trying to extricate us both from this discussion with some grace. ‘Of course. I intended to fuck you not long after we met.’ I wiggled my brows. ‘But, as I recall, you found me, how did you put it?.’ I snapped my fingers. ‘Corrupted.’

I shrugged. ‘I’m still corrupted.’

‘I don’t think you are anymore.’

‘No? Mm. I seem to be improving with age.’

She sighed and looked down at her fingers, linked together to form a bridge between her two knees where her elbows rested. There was a long moment of silence. The sun slid down on the horizon until the darkness began to dominate. The children, having exhausted their supply of bread, had left several minutes earlier, shuffled into a car by their mother.

I saw her hand move and wipe away something on her face. I only noticed then that she was crying. My thumb wiped across her lids as I cupped one side of her face with my palm. ‘What’s wrong?’

She didn’t answer. She still hasn’t answered.