Bab 237: There it is

Mia's bravado faded as she steeled herself to take whatever verbal barrage Ford would throw at her after her little speech.

She could see his point. She'd told him not that long ago that he could be honest, and then complained about his sarcasm… but sarcasm wasn't honesty!

Still, if Mia had assured him that he could be himself, and now she complained about it just because he implied she liked to talk too much, that was hypocritical. She should apologize. 

And yet, the look on Ford's face made her tilt her chin up. She wouldn't back down now. She wasn't meek, wouldn't be trodden over! Blast it, she was a kind friend, and a good one, and her friendship was to be valued, not denigrated!

She waited quietly, but inwardly she composed a valiant defense for herself. Extolling her virtues, her value, and why she deserved to be treated with a modicum of respect, perhaps even deference!