Aspel's own question gave him pause (how could she tell? he could've sworn he was so delicate when it came to this particular matter) and made him shoot her another glance, eyes narrowed and his expression unreadable. She's just a friend, Ric considered saying, or We weren't glued to each others' faces in the middle of a tavern for all and Faram to see, or She doesn't even—
But then there were other things he could explain, all the while staring at the fact that there were great gaping ravines between Rictor and his older sister that he couldn't quite seem to breach. Didn't know how to breach. But perhaps he could, at least, make a start of it.
"We could count to three," he finally said, a strained (yet somehow honest) joke, "and both admit what the fuck's going on at the exact same second."