He takes a drink, and her heart sinks. Oh. She tries to work out who it might've been, but she can't think of anyone they knew from before or during the war, so it had to be in those years after that. The years he never talks about. Maybe even someone now, and he just hasn't said anything to her. Why would he? He doesn't owe her anything. His life is his, and she's just... someone from his past that he presently happens to be stuck with.

She downs half her glass, partly in answer to her own statement, but mostly because she doesn't know how to feel about the realization that he has, or had, fallen in love with someone. The buzzing in her head grows sharp and loud that she almost misses what he says in turn, and when the words catch up with her, her expression turns incredulous. Is he making fun of her? He knows, doesn't he? He's had to have known. Why would pathetic little Stephanie Rogers hang around fearless, dashing James Barnes like an extra limb if she wasn't stupidly in love with him? He's way out of her league, and they both know it.

But he's still watching her expectantly, waiting for her answer, and though the temptation to lie and save herself from humiliation is there, in the end she simply gives him a small, sad smile before lifting her glass to her lips. He can laugh all he wants, think it weird, whatever. She's already lost him far too many times to not want him to know.