[ he rolls his glass between his palms idly as he considers this, getting the feeling this is a far more tangled web than he thought when he sat down. john is hardly the guy for this sort of topic, given his history of personal relationships, but he also can't help but be nosy. ]

"Poisoned" is a curious way to describe it, but then I don't know the history.

[ but it's a strong word either way. ]

Maybe the surest way to ensure his feelings don't get hurt again is to blow up the relationship.

[ john wouldn't happen to know anything at all about that strategy or anything. ]

Maybe he wants to see how many times he can hit you before you stop trying.