Ellie watches Abby's face until the panic fades, and it feels like she can swallow her own. It's a narrow thing, leaves her legs shaky. She knows why neither of them get up right away.

"Right."

Letting go of Abby's arm, Ellie instead puts her palm over the bite and applies pressure, drags in a breath. Finally, what feels like a million years later, even though it's only been a few minutes, Ellie turns her attention on what she'd been about to say before the stalker interrupted them.

"Abby, I..." she trails off, chest rising and falling shallowly. She can't quite look her in the eyes. They're talking again, and this is important.

Because she couldn't say it while they weren't.

"The last time we talked, I... the way I came at you... and for not telling you about the beach-" she trails off, jogging her leg as she searches for words, and can't find them. Fuck, she'd think that she'd have figured out what to say.

"I'm sorry."

It's a pit, in her stomach. All the things she's sorry for. But she can at least apologize for this.