Denial. Exercise 19 in What If?

The couple sat at the table, staring at their hands for a while, not saying anything. Finally after a moment, she spoke.

“How have you been.”
“Alright I guess” sips his water.
“So...”
“So?
“Sew..buttons?”
So what couldn’t you tell me over the phone?”
“What do you mean?”
“You said there was something you had to tell me over the phone..what is it?
“How long have you and I been together?
“Six months I guess?” he un-flexes his hands and then flexes them again. His hands were pail, stained with fragments of paint.
“Yeah...six months more or less”
“And you trust me?”
“I trust you.”
“Oh.”
“Is there something I should know?”
“No.”
“I have a feeling there is.”
“Why?” Her shoulders tense a bit. Her thin hands scrape across the table and make complex patterns on the wood
“There isn’t.”
“Then why did you ask me if I trusted you.”
“I love you.”
“Ok...back at you...why did you ask me?”
“I just wanted to know.”
“I have a feeling there is more to it..is there.”
“Not really.”
“Ok.”

Long pause

“Why did you ask me to meet you here.”
I thought it would be nice if we went out.”
“Cool, we have been going out a lot lately”
“Yeah.”
“We haven’t done much else.”
“We talk.”
“And that’s about it.”
“You love me right?”
“Yeah.”
You love me, I don’t think so.”