Her fair features twisted in an amused frown, "Are you just too much of an idiot to know anything?"

Emotion couldn't be faked, even if expression could be. His embarrassment then, and now, was so confusing, so clear, and yet so convoluted that he couldn't recognize his own feelings. Unless her empathy was being messed with. Maybe this was all a mistake. After all, she barely understood this kind of feeling the last time.

"Never mind," she backtracked, looking away, "I'll see you later."

Valdis turned to go, suddenly wanting to get as far away as she could.