I freeze.
"Stay," she says.
"Why?"
"Because I asked you to."
"That's not a reason."
"It's the only one I have."
I should leave. I know I should leave.
But I don't move.
"I don't understand you," I say.
"That makes two of us."
Antonella shifts on the bed, tucking her legs beneath her. The movement is casual. Natural. Like she's settling in for a long conversation.
"Can I ask you something?" she says.
"You've been asking me things until now."
"One more."
"Fine."
"What was school like for you?"
I stare at her. "School?"
"Yes. High school. College. Whatever."
"Why do you want to know about that?"
She shrugs. "We have a nineteen-year gap. I'm curious what things were like back then."
"Back then." I let out a breath that's almost a laugh. "You make it sound ancient."
"Wasn't it?"
"I'm forty, not eighty."
"Still." She grins. "Did you have cell phones?"
"We had cell phones."
"What about the internet?"
"Yes, Antonella. We had the internet."
"But not like now, right? No social media?"
"No social media."
"That sounds peaceful."