[he freezes. Ordinarily he would be able to shrug this off, or berate her, or keep up any one of the many usual canned responses he had for her. But it all crumbled in his hands, and all he had left, was]
You're apologizing to me like you care to keep talking to me.
[incredulously, turns his head to look at her]
Does this mean you like me?
[And it slips out like it was buttered and thrown down a slide] Because I kind of like you, too.