Eli was beyond stunned the moment the true cause of her frustration clicked. Never in his wildest, most absurd dreams had he envisioned Belle getting genuinely worked up over someone else using his first name. He had never noticed her having a negative reaction when any of their other colleagues called him Eli before.
[Is Peachy the sole exception?] he wondered, a sudden, electric thought piercing through his confusion. [Could she actually be... jealous?]
Wanting to ground her and keep her from spiraling, Eli reached out and gently caught her by the elbow. The moment his fingers brushed her sleeve, Belle flinched as if a live current had shot straight through her veins. She ripped her arm back, her eyes blinking in frantic, disorganized confusion. It took her a agonizing full minute to replay her own outburst in her head, and the realization hit her like a physical blow. A fiery, uncontrollable flush bloomed across her cheeks and neck.
