"No! No, it wasn't--it's not you--" God, she really doesn't want to get into it. The last thing she wants is to go through that agonizing time again, let alone in front of somebody she wants to kiss. More than kiss. They have all afternoon to themselves, and she wants to enjoy it however they end up using it. Digging all this up isn't going to make things more comfortable. "It's...complicated."

She's huddled herself against the arm of the sofa, her cheeks pink with embarrassment, arms crossed around her stomach. Looking at him, seeing the abashed way he stumbles over an apology, only makes this hard. The last thing she wants is for Luke to blame himself.

You could just explain part of it. He's smart, he can put two and two together. She just has to find a way to say it.

"I really...like you," she starts, then realizes it probably sounds like she's dumping him before they've even really been anything. "And I want to...to be here. With you. I was just--"

Surprised? Scared? Every word she can think of seems too small or too large, too melodramatic, to explain it. Beth sighs, trying to get someplace close enough to the truth that he doesn't have to guess. "It made me think of something else. It wasn't you, I swear."