"So you see, the reason that dogs know what we're saying is because they're part of a secret government organization sent to spy on us."
I laughed as he took a bite out if his sandwich.
"Its true!"
He looked at me with wide eyes, and held up his hands in a 'I swear' kind of way. I shook my head.
"Dogs don't understand what we are saying! They just learn the commands we teach them. That doesn't mean they comprehend English."
He took a drink of water and stared at me seriously. Then he nodded slowly.
"You're crazy!"
I exclaimed. He shook his head and finished the rest of the sandwich.
We were sitting in a park, next to a pond. It was out first real date, if you don't count the time we went out for coffee. I hadn't ever really been on a real date before. I mean, technically I had but they didn't feel like dates. This did. We had been here for about an hour. It was a nice park, with not many kids or people around. There was ducks. I remember exactly what it looked like.
It was peaceful honestly, I think that is the best way to describe it. I kind of wish there had been some kind of sign. But they were nice moments I'll admit. And so were the rest of the dates that we had. All of the ones we had within those four months. They were all great.
I remember all of them. Do you? The one at the carnival, the one at the beach. The time we drove all the way into that forest. When we got lost looking for the lake, so instead we stayed in your truck and told each other stories of our childhood until it got cold and we couldn't feel out fingers anymore. And the date at the drive in theaters. Do you remember the date at the beach? I remember that one especially.
~~
"The holy one."
I looked up at him.
"What?"
We were sitting outside by the pool, I was reading a book. He was on his laptop.
"Your name. Ariana. It means the holy one."
"Hmmm. I never really wondered what my name meant."
He stared at my face: he did that a lot.
"What?"
I asked, covering my face.
I felt his grip on my hands, pulling them away.
"Stop don't do that. You're beautiful."
I felt my face get hot. He chuckled.
"And what does Marcus mean?"
I ask.
"It refers to the God of Mars. It means to harvest. I don't even know what that means."
He laughed as he closed the laptop.
"I don't know what that means either."
But now I know. You harvest hearts. And you keep them for a while and then you break them. Mars is the god of war and destruction. And you started a war with my mind. A war that I'm left fighting alone. And you are destructive. You destroyed me and everything we had. Your name fits your perfectly.
