It took me so long to answer that Shawn tried to backtrack. He spoke quickly, as though he thought I would get up and run at any second. “I know, it’s a weird circumstance and maybe you’re not really in the mood but I-I-I thought it would help you…feel better? Or know that regardless of what’s happening out there, I do really like you and—and—” He sighed through his nose. “Sorry, we can just stay here. If it makes it less awkward, pretend I said nothing.”
“No, I’m sorry,” I said, sitting back up to look him in the eye. My glasses were askew again, so I took them off and cleaned them to give me a moment to put my thoughts together. “Look, as much as I really like you, there’s a part of me that’s still terrified I’ll go to Hell for this. I mean, thanks to the Internet and going to a secular
