Maybe Not

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of child sexual abuse and child abuse.

Warren and Bridgette’s relationship begins with hostility, pranks, and mutual annoyance, yet over time, their antagonistic dynamic shifts into attraction and, eventually, love. Indeed, their sharp banter and conflicts serve as the foundation for their deeper connection, as their fiery clashes become moments of undeniable chemistry. Their transformation from adversaries to lovers highlights that intense emotional reactions, whether negative or positive, can be rooted in deeper, hidden feelings.

Bridgette and Warren’s “meet-cute” is both hostile and implicitly sexual, establishing the pattern for their relationship; Warren walks in on a naked Bridgette, resulting in both interpersonal and sexual tension. Later encounters feature similarly conflicting emotions and impulses. Following a passionate kiss on the couch, for example, Warren is stunned by how much his perception of Bridgette has changed: “How did I ever think she was mean? She’s so, so sweet, and her lips are sweet” (38). The remark suggests a reevaluation of their former animosity—e.g., a realization that Bridgette’s supposed meanness may have stemmed from hidden feelings—but his internal conflict remains, with him calling her an “evil vixen” just a few sentences later. In this context, the insult is laced with admiration, desire, and an acknowledgment of his loss of control, further underscoring the complicated and intense feelings fueling the characters’ dynamic. 

The antagonistic nature of Bridgette and Warren’s relationship persists long after they begin sleeping together. Warren’s brutal insult when Bridgette brings another man home—“You’re a coldhearted, calculating, ruthless bitch!” (80)—reflects the intensity of their emotions. However, their fights are never purely out of malice; they are charged with passion and unresolved feelings. Unlike true enemies, they never walk away from each other. Instead, they stay engaged, feeding off the tension between them. Indeed, even in moments of frustration, their underlying attraction is undeniable. For example, in the middle of their argument about Bridgette’s date, Warren observes that Bridgette “stops struggling long enough to smile in [his] face” (80), revealing that, despite her anger, she enjoys Warren’s persistence.

The friction that fuels the relationship never entirely disappears, but it does soften into a more flirtatious rather than overtly combative form, as evidenced by their bickering over Bridgette’s refusal to divulge the name of the adult film she appeared in. Meanwhile, the couple’s increasing openness with one another transforms the nature of their arguments, which increasingly focus not on peripheral concerns but on the major obstacle to their relationship: Bridgette’s guardedness. Warren, for instance, gets to the heart of the matter when he simply asks why Bridgette brought a date home, wanting her to admit that what they have is real. He is not simply fighting with her anymore but fighting for her—a shift that both affirms the underlying attraction that has driven their animosity and suggests that vulnerability can emerge from even the most combative dynamics.