The automatic apology for apolizing was there, but she covered her mouth instead. She shook her head, trying to force the words down. No matter what she did, James seemed to grow angrier. She bit down, so hard that she tasted blood, as James began to strip.
She shut her eyes - politeness and general rules to live by dictated she not look, even if James was doing this with knowledge. It wasn't that she hadn't seen another girl's bare body before - being a dancer and dealing with the changing rooms ensured that. But it was what manners dictated and she refused to look, even though it was clearly the intention with James' movement.
Her eyes squeezed more tightly as she yelled. The barest movement, a tiny nod - and she let her eyes open, unintentionally, to explain and protest - when she saw the bruises. Once again, Lotte's jaw dropped as the full-extent of what happened hit her.
"James..." she whispered, half-terrified, half-concerned.