Oh, Alex! He wanted to crawl in a hole, sure that she was so disappointed in him... but her expression didn't show it. She bit her lip, and he offered an apologetic bit of smile. "It was stupid to start. Then I couldn't stop." He dropped his gaze to the table. "But I have to. It's... I just have to."
He pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead, but looked up when she mentioned biography. Case studies? He closed the books he'd been using, pushing them aside, and pulled his notebook over to turn to a fresh page.
"Thanks, Rose," he said gratefully. "For... everything..."