"No, I don't.." This was so much worse than how she thought it would go. She'd expected him to get angry and yell at her. She could take that. They could recover from that. This just felt terrible. Like she was watching her relationship with him crumble as he spoke. It felt like the room was getting smaller and the air was going away, somehow. Come back, air!
"Thomas, I didn't mean that! I'm your friend, too! I'm so glad I know you, really. I love you, Thomas, and you make my life better, Gaius' too." Her voice was rising and she sounded panicked. Her fingers were gripping the stick, and she was going to start crying any minute now.