James grinned when Gwen rolled her eyes. He was ready for her return barb, or maybe to be slapped sharply upside the head or in the arm, but he was not preapred for her to...well, to just stop. She seemed as though she were about to say something, but then her expression changed. James' eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Again, he ran over his last remark, trying to figure out if he'd done something stupid that would require an apology.
Then, somewhat suddenly, Gwen spoke. Her voice was serious and quiet, and she was avoiding his eyes. James' stomach dropped. This was it, then. She was going to tell him that she'd thought about it long enough and she didn't feel the same, as he'd always known she would, and he was going to have to force himself to give up on her. The thought of hoping for a better outcome didn't really cross his mind. "Uh, s-sure, Gwen, what's up?" he said, trying not to sound as if he knew what was coming.