72 When Did I Try to Kill You?

She didn't know how to respond. "How did you come to the conclusion that you love me?" she asked. She had never had someone say these words to her.

"It took some help from other people to figure it out. But I know what I feel about you."

She was stunned. "You tried to kill me!" she exclaimed.

He was silent for a second. "When did I try to kill you?" he respond with the same urgency. He didn't remember ever trying to kill her.

"In my room… back at Marie's! You grabbed me by the throat and made it hard for me to breathe," she accused. Her tone was not aggrieved.

"Oh," was his response. "I wasn't trying to kill you. I just wanted to aggravate you. I wanted you to explode. How much fun would that be?" he said with a chuckle. He sobered up quickly. "I put you in danger then. But I also didn't love you back then," he said truthfully.

"How… odd." She became silent after that. The air was suffocating and awkward.