As Isaac drove Tess home that night after their sushi date, they passed a supermarket. Isaac turned his blinker on. "Do you mind if we stop here? My dad asked me to bring home some milk."

"Of course not," said Tess. She smiled at the thought of grocery shopping with Isaac. Sure, it was just a small errand, but it would be fun to walk down the aisles together on a shopping mission—something Tess had only ever done with her parents.

Isaac parked the car, and they headed into the store. It was late, just an hour or so before closing time, and there weren't many other shoppers around. As they walked, Isaac took Tess's gloved hand with casual ease, and she rested her head for a second on his shoulder.

"So, I take it you won't be back for more sushi any time soon?" he asked. The automatic doors slid open for them, and they were met with a wave of warming air as they entered the store. January in Virginia was nothing like January in Minnesota, but it was still very crisp, especially at night.

"I can't say it was my favorite thing," Tess said. "I think the best one was the eel, or maybe the egg."

"Tamago is one of my favorites, too."

"If you wanted to go back, I could order something else. They had way more than sushi on the menu."

Isaac smiled at her, leading the way to the dairy department. "That's true. Sometime we'll have to try the hibachi grill. I hear it's amazing at that restaurant."

Tess had liked trying new things with Isaac, and his suggestion put her in mind of something else they hadn't tried yet. "Hey, Isaac?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"Maybe you'd want to come over to my house for dinner sometime. I think my parents are curious to meet you—I mean, I know you met them before homecoming, but it was only for a minute."

They had reached the milk. Isaac paused as he reached for the door to the cooler, looking at her with a surprised smile. "Really?"

"Yeah. You don't think it's weird, or like, too soon, or anything? I mean, we've been together for a few months now."

"I don't think it's weird at all. I'd like to try your mom's fancy cooking. Batman intimidates me, but I guess that's normal for the boyfriend in the equation."

Tess laughed. "Well, I'd be nervous about meeting your dad, too."

Isaac checked the expiration dates on the cartons before selecting a half gallon. "Sorry, my dad is really picky about his milk. He's not bad. I think he'd like you." Isaac took her hand again and they headed back to the front of the store. Tess enjoyed the walk and the comfortable silence.

Isaac purchased his milk and then they headed back to the car.

"Brr." Tess hugged her jacket closer as they left the warm indoors for the chilly winter night. "I thought I'd laugh at Virginia winters, but cold is cold."

"At least we don't get the snow like y'all do up there."

"That's true, but when you do get some it's a big deal." Tess stopped before mentioning the icy roads and the lack of snow plows. Driving in the snow and ice was something she couldn't talk about. "So when do you think you might want to come for supper?"

"Whenever you want, Tess. What about tomorrow?" Isaac pressed the button on his key fob to unlock his car. The car chirped and its lights flashed.

"Tomorrow wouldn't be good—Miguel's coming. He usually comes Sunday nights. But maybe next Sunday I can ask him to come earlier?"

Isaac drew to a stop on the driver's side, his shopping bag dangling from his hand. There was a moment of stillness. Then he opened the back door of the car and tossed the milk in. "I see."

Something in his tone made Tess feel guilty at once. Isaac closed the car door; the set of his shoulders betrayed that he was upset. "Isaac?"

"Is he your other boyfriend, or what?"

A shiver swept down Tess's spine: shame, and dread of a coming argument. Isaac's real feelings were in the open at last. She tried for a calm tone as she said, "He's my tutor, Isaac. There's nothing else going on."

"I'm just saying, it makes me uncomfortable that you're spending so much time with this dude. I don't even know him."

Tess didn't understand what Isaac's relationship with Miguel had to do with her own relationship with him; Isaac was acting like Miguel, sweet Miguel, was a threat. She didn't know what she'd done to make him feel suspicious, and she wished she did so she could reassure him he had nothing to worry about. "I don't know why you need to know him." She smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "He's not your tutor. Do you want to spend more time on Senior English? That would be crazy."

"You don't seem to mind the extra hours."

"I don't really have a choice. I have to pass these classes with a decent grade." Tess folded her arms around herself, looking at him. "He's been tutoring me for months, and he's really been helping me. You're in the class—you know how hard it is. And I have Lit on top of it. I need to do well. I'm trying to get ready for college."

Isaac stood looking at her for a moment. Then he sighed, reaching up to tuck a stray lock of Tess's hair behind her ear, his tone dismissive and light. "Just forget about it. Who cares?"

Tess smiled, leaning into his tender gesture. Then she opened her car door, pausing with her fingers on the handle. "I can't do this without him, Isaac," she said. "It's just a fact. I have too much on my plate this year, and I can't handle it. I'm glad you understand."

Without warning, Isaac shoved Tess's car door closed with a slam. "No, Tess. I don't understand, and you don't seem to understand either."

Tess flinched at the sound of his voice, suddenly so flat and severe. She looked up at him as he stepped toward her, and she realized she did not like being out here with him, alone. She looked out across the parking lot, but it was almost deserted. "Isaac, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, right. If you were sorry, you'd stop hanging out with him. No wonder you have no interest in sleeping with me—you're infatuated with this other dude."

Struck by his words, Tess didn't know whether to be angry, offended, or hurt. She sensed a restless energy in Isaac, and she took a tiny step back. "It isn't hanging out, Isaac, it's studying, and he's probably the only reason I'm passing English. It has nothing to do with—with us, like that. He's a nice person—"

"Oh, he's a nice person. A nice person. You know what?" He moved toward her.

Tess took a corresponding step back. She bumped up against the car. Her instinct was to slide away, but Isaac was too fast; he slammed one hand against the car on either side of her, fencing her in. "Isaac, you're—" she began, wanting to say, You're scaring me, but too scared to say it.

What if it made him angrier? Would he hit her? Would he do that to her?

His face was near to hers. Had the moment been different, it would have been the prelude to a kiss. "I'm what? What am I?" he demanded.

"You're my boyfriend. I didn't mean to upset you."

"Well, you have a choice, Tess. It's me or him. Do you understand?"

She looked up at him, feeling the warmth of his breath on her face, and felt sick. She wanted to run, but she couldn't. If she were brave, she could tell him, I choose him. I choose Miguel. You're being crazy. But she wasn't brave, and she was worried that the slightest wrong move would make this moment worse than it already was. Her instinct was to appease him, and that meant agreeing with him. "I understand."

"I mean it."

"I understand," she repeated, wondering if he could see how her knees were shaking.

He pushed off the car, stepping back away from her. "Get in the car. It's time for me to take you home."

Tess mustered the last of her will and said, as calmly as she could, "I was actually going to—I need something else inside."

Isaac had begun crossing to the driver's side. He paused, a hand in his pocket, and then he slowly produced his keys. "What?"

"You know. Girl stuff," Tess's cheeks flushed. "Tampons. I'll call my mom to pick me up."

Isaac's expression told Tess that he didn't want to be included in her errand. "Okay. Text me when you get home."

Tess nodded. "Sure." She stood for a second, paralyzed with indecision. She was worried he would catch on to her lie, that he'd make her get into that car—and she didn't want to get into that car, no matter how much she wanted to diffuse his anger. She walked toward him. "Good night, babe." She leaned up to kiss his cheek.

He intercepted her chaste kiss with his lips. All at once, Tess felt his tongue, his teeth—and his hand at the base of her spine, pressing her toward him. The warmth and joy she'd felt walking the aisles of the supermarket with him was gone entirely. They had kissed like this before, but it had been different—sweeter and exciting. This was not the same. His touch made her skin crawl with an instinct to get away, and she realized with a tickle of horror that she was afraid not just of the situation, not just of the fight.

She was afraid of Isaac.

Isaac broke the kiss, looking down at her. "Text me when you get home," he repeated. He brushed her hair back from her face, his touch soft. "Okay? I love you."

"I will," said Tess in a whisper. The light brush of his fingertips along her cheek sent a shiver down her spine. It was the first time Isaac had told her he loved her.

He released her and got into his car. The door slammed shut. He started the engine and drove away. Tess watched his tail lights until he was halfway across the parking lot, and then, convinced that he would watch her and realize she'd been lying, she turned and started for the department store. She went in through the automatic sliding doors, closing her eyes as the warm air touched her face.

She was sweating, and she felt light-headed.

Going through the motions kept her steady. She went to the pharmacy and personal care aisles and simply walked down one and then another; her eyes were glazed over, unseeing. She chose a box of tampons at random, even though she had plenty at home and wouldn't need them for two weeks. Then she passed down another aisle and stopped. She stood in the center of the aisle and lingered for several minutes, just in case Isaac could see her—just in case he'd followed her in and was making sure she hadn't lied.

At last, realizing she had been standing there for too long, she mindlessly grabbed bottle of shampoo. She took her two items to the check-out and paid with her debit card, and then, carrying the shopping bag in one hand and her cell phone in the other, she lingered in the vestibule of the supermarket, scanning the parking lot for Isaac's car.

She didn't see it. Still, she waited for several minutes to ensure he did not drive past. Finally convinced that he was gone, she went to a metal bench that stood to one side of the automatic doors by the vending and gum ball machines, and she sat down.

One. Two. Three. Four. The air smelled like fresh bread. They must have been prepping for the next day in the bakery department.

One. Two. Three. Four. There was a neon pink koala bear in the claw grab game, its smile sewn onto its wide-eyed face.

One. Two. Three. Four. There was fresh gum on the tile. Someone had stepped in it. The dirty, mint-colored blob blurred in her vision as tears welled in her eyes.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.