“I-” Much didn’t even know where to start with that barrage of accusations - repeat himself that he hadn’t hidden Leila on purpose? Say that ‘by the way I have a girlfriend’ was a weird thing to say in response to someone after they’d told you about their teenage pregnancies and divine fathers and cruel friends and lying parents? Try to reassure her that he wanted to trust her, so badly, that he’d felt in his heart he could trust her, but even though he trusted her that didn’t mean he could risk Leila’s mission? Because if he’d said anything about dating, and Marcie had asked for any details, he would have had to lie, since saying ‘oh yeah she’s one of the Merry Men but she’s a woman now’ was out of the question - thank you very much Robin Hood - and wasn’t outright lying worse?
He didn't know how to turn any of that into words. “I’m so sorry, Marcie - I swear I wasn’t trying to lead you on. I just thought we were friends-" he winced at the just, knowing that was the wrong word as soon as he's said it. Much shook his head, which made his eye throb, which he probably deserved. "I didn’t know you felt-" he tried to salvage it. "I’m sorry.”