Page 82 of Alone With You in the Ether

“Why not? You understand everything else.”

“One day,” he sighed, “you’ll discover that my understanding of math does not translate to a grasp of human behavior, and then it will occur to you that I am, in fact, an idiot.”

“Oh, I already know that,” she assured him, making his mouth quirk slightly. “You’re entirely useless but still, be honest. You disapprove.”

“I have no basis for approval or disapproval. I’m just, you know. Here for however long you want to keep me.”

She looked up, startled. “You don’t think I’m serious about you?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You kind of did.”

“Well, I didn’t mean to ‘kind of do’ anything, I just meant to say it: I’m here for however long you want me.”

“But that implies that you don’t think it’ll last.”

“Does it?”

“Yes, of course, otherwise you wouldn’t say it.”

He said nothing.

She pushed him. “Do you think I’m not telling my parents about us because I’m not serious about you?”

“I didn’t say that.”

The line inched forward.

“It’s not that,” she said quietly. “I just… I like us like this, I like us how we are. I don’t want them in it, around it. Near it, even.”

“You don’t want them to ruin it, you mean.”

“No, I just—”

“It’s okay. I’m trying to tell you, I don’t have expectations.”

“Well, why not?” The comment made her agitated, left her bristling. “What if I want you to have expectations?”

“Do you?”

“Do I want you to, or do I have them?”

“Both, I guess. Whichever you feel like answering.”

“Well—” She cleared her throat. “I want you to have them.”

“Which expectations should I have? Great ones?”

“Don’t be cute,” she growled, glaring at him. His uneven mouth meant he was laughing. “I just don’t want you to think I’m not serious, Aldo. I’m serious.”

“Okay.”

“Like, really serious.”

“Even if you weren’t, Regan, that would be fine.”

“Why?” she demanded, defensive again. “Because I can just flit in and out of your life and it wouldn’t make a difference?”

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