as she put it, stating work reasons. I honestly thought she just needed to put her head in a different place, a place where she was forced to realize “I have to tell Vinnie” meant she had to do it like I did it—in her head, where Vinnie could reply and she didn’t have to tell anybody about the conversation. Noah picked me up, right on time. We were both wearing cargo shorts and hooded sweatshirts, which relieved me on some level. Actors play the part—and right now my part was to blend in and be casual. “I think,” I said, looking out the window to the greenery that surrounded the winding road, “that the last year was like . . . like we insulated ourselves. Like when you wrap a bandage tight around a cut so you don’t have to feel it until you’re ready.” I felt rather than saw Noah’s startled glance. “You haven’t spoken for three miles, do you know that?” I looked at him.
