"You're welcome," she replied with a small smile. She could see the pain he was trying to hide and was instinctive as she reached out across the space between them to take his hand. It was then she realised that they didn't know how to be just friends. They'd never been friends- just together. And now they weren't and this was probably crossing the friends line.

"I-- I'm sorry," she said, letting go hurriedly and retreating back to her side of the couch. "That was not what I meant to-- I shouldn't have done that."