This was the excuse everyone gave themselves

Joseph blinked, "Then?"

"Victor found me unconscious in a river when I was seven. I don't remember where I came from. Who I was." Aria decided to stick to her original story.

Joseph: "But it doesn't matter to me. I don't care where you come from..."

Aria cut him off again, "Like I said, it's not about where I come from. It's about who I am."

Joseph frowned, "Who are you?"

Aria: "I can't tell you. But believe me, what I'm doing is for the best. And you'll agree if you ever find out the truth about me."

Joseph: "No. I won't. I don't care who or what you are. I love you!! I love you Aria."

Aria blinked at Joseph. She looked really surprised at Joseph's words, "You...love .....me?" She asked, pointing to herself.

Joseph slapped his forehead, "What's there to be so surprised about? Isn't it obvious?"

Aria was deep in thought before she said, looking at the lake, "Stop."

"Huh?" Joseph didn't understand.

"Stop loving me. I'm not worth it. I'm not someone who can love. I'm not a normal girl." Aria continued.

Joseph grabbed Aria's shoulders and shook her, "Have you gone crazy? You're not worth it!?!??! Are you f*cking kidding me!?!?! Of course you're not a normal girl!! That's why I love you! And nothing you can say will change that."

Aria looked straight into Joseph's eyes. She said, "Look at my eyes."

Joseph: "What about them."

Aria: "Have you ever seen eyes of this colour before?"

Joseph: "I think they're beautiful."

Aria: "Why do you think I have black eyes?"

Joseph: "I don't care."

Aria: "You should."

Joseph: "I don't."

Aria: "You didn't answer my question. Why do you think I have black eyes?"

Joseph shrugged, "I don't know. Seeing how good of a bendor you are, they are probably so dark blue that they look black."

Aria sighed. That was right. This was the excuse everyone gave themselves. So dark red that they are almost black. So dark blue that they are almost black.

"I can see nothing will change your mind." Aria said in a small voice.

Joseph's face broke into a smile of triumph.

But Aria continued, "But that's true for me too. What I am doing is for everybody's best. I will not change my mind either."

Joseph's smile faltered a little before it was back on. "Then it is a competition to see who is more stubborn." He said.

Aria pursued her lips. She really wished Joseph would give up on her. And she believed he eventually would, that was why she didn't pursue the matter further.

Aria exhaled and wriggled herself out of Joseph's hands. She said, "Anyway, you said you had something you wanted to ask me?"

Joseph felt the sudden emptiness in his hands and his heart. This was the first time he had touched Aria like that, and he couldn't say that he disliked it.

"Well, you know we have a week off after this month's exams?" He said, seeming not to be able to say what was on his mind.

Aria blinked, "Yeah of course."

Joseph frowned, searching for words, "So um....I wanted to....Umm...."