( She takes it the same way she'd take a hit. Absorbs the impact, no backward stagger and no guard.

But there's no strike back in retaliation. Her voice is flat, no heat. )

I was a dick. I thought you might not want to hear from me and I didn't want to make it some "oh poor Sarissa, she's staying elsewhere" guilty drama, so I told Clara to spare you or Tiger or Ali having to talk to me, and so if you got worried someone who talks to you lot would be able to tell you I was fine.

( Another shrug. ) Got it wrong.