"You like him?"

"More than I should," more than I want to, I finish in my head.

"Because he doesn't do relationships?" she asks.

"Yes. No. Partly. But also because I don't really know him. This isn't like me."

"You always did care too much," Ali grins.

"Yeah sure about sick animals and my friends and family," I'm laughing now, "but not about boys..." the last words a gentle whisper.

"No," Aileen agrees, "not boys... you always were slightly ...