He scoffs at that.
“I bet you’re glad we’ll be parting ways soon. I know you think I’m annoying.”
“You’re not annoying.”
His voice is quiet but firm.
I laugh, tilting my head back in the water to wet my hair.
“You don’t have to lie to spare my feelings. I know I talk too much and ask for impossible things and generally make your life difficult.”
I stand up straight again, pushing wet hair back from my face. He doesn’t respond, but I catch the slight tension in his shoulders, as if my words have affected him somehow.
“I mean it as a compliment,” I continued, working soap through my hair. “You’re very patient with annoying people. It’s probably a valuable skill in your line of work.”
Nothing but silence from over by the tree. I’m about to make another teasing comment when something b
