How would you like it if I said to you, 'It kills me to say this, but you're actually a tiny bit beautiful?" he had asked, pissed off.

She hadn't said anything then, which was rare for her.

"Would you have been lying?" She said after a long silence.

"Lying about what?"

More quiet.

"About me being a tiny bit beautiful."

"Shit, yeah."

-

But later that night, he had sent her a message on MSN.

Of course I was lying. The "tiny" bit part, anyway.

Melina Marchetta