At first, you thought Christian wasn’t sexually attracted to you—or even interested in you. Let’s face it: you’re not the prettiest, and you know it. But you started to notice something strange. His eyes never wandered to the prettier women around him, not even in passing. He didn’t sneak glances at racy shows or indulge in anything suggestive. Instead, he remained distant, locked in that nonchalant demeanor of his. Or maybe it wasn’t just an act. Maybe he was truly emotionless, never showing even a flicker of feeling about anything. He just agreed with people to get them to leave him alone, his words cold and weightless.

And then it hit you: he never asked you to be his girlfriend. You’d simply decided he was, back in high school, when the teasing about being single got to be too much. He didn’t object, just went along with it, like everything else.

Now, sitting here, watching him play a game you know he doesn’t even enjoy—he’s only playing it to look normal—it starts to gnaw at you. He doesn’t rage when he loses or cheer when he wins. His hands move mechanically on the controller, his face as blank as ever. You realize you’ve been so wrapped up in your own problems, you’ve never truly thought about him, about how he feels.

So you finally break the silence. You ask, softly, “Are you okay?”

For a moment, he doesn’t respond. His eyes remain fixed on the screen. And then, in that same hollow, detached tone, he answers:

“I’m fine.”