Quen could tell she'd made her guest feel bad, which made Quen feel even worse. "I'm sorry," she said again, reaching for Ari's hand. "I can be so thoughtless sometimes. I just get so used to saying whatever I think, I forget to guard my words sometimes. Especially when I feel comfortable." For some reason, Ari seemed so easy to talk to, and this was how Quen had repaid her. "It really has nothing to do with you at all," she tried to explain. "It was just easier to be annoyed at you than at him... Merri," she clarified.
An idea struck her, and she shifted in her chair so that she was facing Ari more directly. "In fact," she said, "maybe you can help me. You know about these things, don't you?"