Dear Annabel,

I'm not going to lie and tell you I didn't go to the park in hopes that Lucy would be there, because that's exactly what I did. Please, don't take this the wrong way. I simply needed someone to talk to. Without you here, good company is a hard find.

I didn't find her at the park, so I decided to go to the cafe and grab a muffin. Do you like muffins? We can go to the cafe together if you want.

Well, Lucy was in the cafe, so I decided to approach her. I'm going to tell you exactly what happened again, Annabel. I'm an open book for you.

"Look who it is," Lucy said.

I smiled. "It's me again. May I sit with you?"

She nodded once. I noticed she also had a muffin.

"How's it going?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Still learning my way around."

"Do you like it here?"

"Yeah, it's alright. Why are you smiling so much?"

"Today is the halfway point."

"Until your girl gets back?"

"Yes. I made it this far; now I just have to do it again."

"Good luck, then."

"Sorry. Do you get uncomfortable when I talk about Annabel?"

She shrugged. "Not really. In fact, tell me more."

I proceeded to tell her what you look like, down to the freckles on your nose. I told her about how we go to the movies a lot. I showed her pictures of you, and pictures of us.

"Huh," Lucy said.

"That's all you have to say?"

"Well, by the way you're so absorbed in her, I'd say she must be fantastic. But looking at those pictures, she doesn't look so absorbed in you."

I frowned. "What are you saying?"

She shrugged. "I can't say anything. I'm just telling you what it looks like."

I looked her in the eyes. We looked at each other for a long time.

"Are you sure?" I finally asked.

"Do you really want to know?"

"I keep getting...hints. Do you really think she doesn't like me?"

"Listen, the last thing I want to do is step between you and your girlfriend."

"Lucy, I really need to know."

She didn't answer right away. But eventually, she said, "There's no way I can tell you what your girlfriend thinks and feels, but judging on what I've seen and heard, she's not invested in this relationship. She's taking advantage of you, and you don't suspect a thing."

"I hope you're wrong," I said quietly.

Lucy looked pitiful. "I do too."

After that, she threw her trash away and left, but she didn't fail to throw me her signature peace sign through the window on her way past.

I'm so sorry that conversation happened, Annabel. I'm showing weakness in this relationship, and that was the last thing I wanted to do. Prove me wrong; slap my face when you read this. I don't care.

Please don't leave me.

Love,

Ian