Morrigan didn't really despise Alim as much as she claimed. She wouldn't have forced him to stay with her if she really thought he was horrible. Her insults were mostly a defense mechanism. She was still a little hurt by some of the things Alim had said months ago, but for the most part, she liked Alim. If she were actually to admit that she cared for him, though, he would mock her, as would everyone else who knew her.
Normally she would have snapped something about her headache being caused by being surrounded by morons and having to listen to Alim's inane yammering all of the time. She rubbed the side and back of her neck before picking up the book and standing to put it back on the shelf. "I have to listen--" She paused, wincing at the throbbing in her head. She rarely had aches like this, and it actually made her reel in mid-step. "My head and neck," she admitted, abandoning the insult.