“I don’t know. Maybe?”
“How can you maybe be religious?”
“I mean, I don’t really think about it. Sometimes I think it seems ridiculous to believe in God when we’re just this tiny speck in a huge universe. Then I think how could there not be a God. It’s easier not to think about it.”
“So you like to drift through eternity?”
“Yeah. I’m a drifter. What about you?”
“My parents disagreed about religion. Dad’s vaguely Hindu, and Mom’s vaguely Southern Baptist. By the time Dad left, and my mom started going back to church, I’d missed a window. I can kind of see why people believe, but I could never feel it.”
“I can feel it. My mom would say feeling is proof that my soul is searching. But I also sometimes feel like inanimate objects have emotions, you know? Have you ever felt sad to throw away an old pair of shoes that have been nothing but loyal?”
I snorted. “You’re crazy.”
“I mean, feelings can be misleading.”
“Yeah, they can.” I sat up and took a deep breath. “Micah?”
“Uh-huh?” He was quiet, too. He’d told me they’d all gotten rooms at the casino for the night—gaudy, expensive rooms. A room perfect for a one-night stand with a groupie.
“Can I ask you something serious? About us?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you just drifting?”
“With you? No. I’m anchored. Positively moored.”
I smiled to myself. I’d never known anyone to lay it out so openly. It encouraged me to ask a trickier question. “So, would you consider this exclusive?”
“You want to know if I’m flirting with other girls?”
“No. You’re gonna flirt. That’s just you. But I want to know what to expect.”
“What do you want to expect?”
“Micah, you are talking in circles. You can’t answer a question with a question.”
“I can’t? Why not?” He started laughing.
“You are a brat.”
“I’ll tell you what to expect then. Expect me to be home tomorrow around noon. What are we doing?”
I laid my head down and rolled on my side, switching my phone to the other ear. “Going to a flea market.”
“A flea market?”
“With Zion.”
“Sounds fun.”
I lowered my voice, quiet. “Micah. You haven’t answered my question.”
“No? I thought I did.” If I closed my eyes, I could imagine his low whisper coming from beside me.
“I must have missed your answer. Could you say it again?”
