"You don't like her, do you?"

"I don't have to."

He glanced at her, although kept his eyes on the road. "You have to try."

"Really, my feelings towards her don't matter, what matters is that you like her, and she likes you." Her feathers were ruffled now as she looked out of the window, most decidedly not at him. "Besides. I am trying."

"Then maybe you should try harder."

They didn't speak, the sounds of the engine the only thing keeping them from awkward silence.

"The others all like her."

"I don't have to like everyone - "

"You have to try. Please. For me."

She watched houses of families go past, looked at what could have been. "Fine. I'll try harder. For you." She dared to look at him, somehow upset by the smile her promise had elicited. "Has she noticed that I don't like her?"

"No. She loves you. Wants you to be her best friend."

A long pause.

"Do you want me to be her best friend?"

"No, I want you to be my best friend. Like you're supposed to be. And that includes making an effort to like my girlfriend."

"Do you love her?" She asked it quietly, as if she hadn't dared to before, as if she wasn't certain how she'd dared it now.

"No. Not yet. But I could love her."

"And me not liking her. Would that stop you? Would it matter, in the end?" She challenged, trying to sound reasonable but failing.

He kept his eyes firmly on the road, his tone of voice even. "It could do."

"You shouldn't hold my opinion in such high regard. If you think that much of my opinion, then it should be me you're dating."

He turned, stared at her, as if the genie were out of the bottle.

"That's not what