He watched her throat as she swallowed it. "I'm not laying anything on thick. Why is it you always think I'm not telling the truth?" She looked up a... him with a question in her eyes. "I can see it in your eyes when I talk to you. " She shook her head. "I have had my fair share of bad relationships." He nodded his head as if to say continue. She took a deep breath, this should be fun, she thought. "Look don't think I'm some frail damsel in distress who needs rescuing." She said, a little. I couldn’t tell whether he was enjoying this rare opportunity to be on the other side, or hating it. Or somewhere between the two.“Again, it sounds stupid at first until I explain myself. I have a crush on Nicole.”“That’s it?” I asked out of reflex.“Right? On the surface it seems so stupid. But it’s bigger than anything I’ve ever felt. I like to think I’m a guy who doesn’t feel much. Like, if life were a sitcom, I’m that comic relief character everyone appreciates but no one actually focuses. "I never thought you'd do that!" He gathered the wet clothes and walked bare-assed to the dryer on the other side of the room, wearing nothing but his red tee-shirt and black socks. He heard Marybeth giggling behind him and he turned to see her watching him over the back of the couch. With the dryer running, Dale returned to the couch and stood in front of Marybeth. She was wearing sweat pants and a sports tank top and she eyed him with interest. "I should discipline you for your clumsiness,". Are you?”“No, it would be churlish to disappoint them when they appear to be so determined.”Michelle laughed; this was music to Tim’s ear. He wanted to know everything about this girl.“How did you become so good at lip reading?” he asked.“When I was a very young child and living with my grandmother I had trouble with my hearing. It might be hereditary, as my grandmother has worn a hearing aid for years, certainly for as long as I can remember. My hearing loss came on so gradually that I didn’t.