“I feel like you don’t take me seriously,” I finally said.
“I don’t,” he said. “I think you’re silly. But, that doesn’t mean I don’t like you — or think you’re sexy.”
He reached out to pull me closer to him, but I pulled away.
“Silly? How?” I was fixated on the word. It sounded so small and insignificant.
He shrugged.
“Name one thing,” I pressed.
“Where do I begin?” He gave me a condescending smirk. “Well, what about the time you decided to go on a trip to hunt for fairies? That was silly.”
“I didn’t go hunting for fairies,” I retorted.
“It’s just dismissive,” says Kacie, 30. “I feel like it’s the type of thing where I can say it about my behavior, but when someone else does, it turns into an insult.” She’s still peeved about how much the guy she dates mocks her Instagram obsession. “If it makes me happy, that’s all that should matter.”
Jen, 26, agrees: “I know some things I do are silly. Like, I sometimes turn out the lights so I can spy on the people who live across the courtyard. I know it’s ridiculous. But, if it’s so silly, then why can’t he resist spying with me?”