For a long minute that felt like an hour, Caius just stared. Stunned.
This was unlike Arlette as he had ever known her. On the page of a novel, in person, as he had over the last couple of weeks. And yet, as much as this reaction was new, was it really so unexpected?
Caius was inclined to think, No. It wasn't unexpected.
Hell, since he had woken up on her bed, saw her in the midst of what might have been a repeated rewatch of him getting struck so hard that his chest caved in, and seeing her flinch at that attack for what had definitely not been the first time, he had known something like this was coming.
He just hadn't grasped how little of an argument he would have in response.
Ordinarily, Caius would have offered a smile and shrugged the issue aside. But learning how much danger he had put Kaya, Eloise, and Delia in because of his arrogance and relaxed take on the events he was actively changing, made him tongue-tied.
