Suddenly I realized that she was angry. Her tone had changed completely. I knew that she was trying to manipulate me, and she was succeeding. But I wasn't going to let her.
"Of course it matters," I said. "I'm just not sure what to tell you."
"Then say it! Say that you love me. Isn't that all that really matters?"
I hesitated for a long time before answering. Then I blurted out, "Yes," and hung up.
***
After I got off the phone with Cindy, I sat down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. I tried to decide whether or not I believed her. Part of me wondered if she was playing a trick on me. I thought back over our conversation and realized that she sounded drunk. Maybe she was trying to convince me that she loved me in order to get back together with her ex-boyfriend. Or maybe she was t
