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He was losing ground and he hadn’t even started talking Why was she standing there, ar for him

Okay He went back to the couch Sat on the middle cushion A second went by Then she settled into the chair again

“Look, Caleb, I know you weren’t expecting—”

“Sage, the thing is, I hadn’t expected—”

They spoke at the same time “You first,” he said

She nodded

“I don’t mean to sound hostile In fact—in fact, I knoe you an apology”

She licked her lips Nerves, he knew, but it was a disconcerting sight, that kitten-pink tonguea strip of flesh he kneas honeyed and tender

Hell

He shot to his feet again Took as no-nonsense a stroll as a h a room the size of a shoebox

“Yes,” he said briskly, “you do You should have told ive you”

“How nice of you”

So ies Still, he knew he deserved it He sounded ridiculous, but no as he going to admit that

“My point is, we have—we have a problem for which we need a solution”

He aly, so formal, so pathetically inadequate