"I never let people win," Eloise told him. It seemed wrong to belittle her friends by assuming they couldn't win on their own.
She glanced under the table again. It looked decidedly less inviting now. "Yes. Yes, you did. And you were happy about it."
Ellie had never forgotten the way she'd met O'Brien, that day in the department store. He seemed to have been getting along just fine since then, judging by his activity level; in a distant, sort of anonymous way, she'd been wondering about him. It was clear he could take care of himself, but offering supplies had been the easiest way to show her support. It couldn't be good that he was still wincing over his wounds, but she supposed these things weren't easy to heal. Especially now.
"Yes," Ellie said, grinning. "I did. It was sort of nice."
She paused. "Dreamless for me, too. But then... I don't usually dream anyway."