The words caught me off guard and I looked up at him in surprise. It was apparent that they had caught him by surprise too as his face paled and his eyes widened while he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"I mean... I..." he stammered, which was quite uncharacteristic. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like... I shouldn't have said that" he finally managed to apologize, examining his glass of wine before placing it down on a small table beside him.
I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks and didn't know what to say. Instead, I busied myself by packing away the board game in silence while avoiding eye contact with him at all costs.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him slump forward in his seat, his eyes shut tightly, as he buried his face in his hands.
The comment was essentially harmless,
