In her own way, Ellie has already indirectly answered it. She values Clarisse's feelings. She doesn't want to hurt her, if she finds out down the line that Ellie is a lot less of a good person than she's assumed.

That Clarisse trusts her, and she cares about that. That Clarisse trusts Abby, and that Ellie cares about that, too.

What she doesn't answer is why Clarisse deserves this particular consideration, and that's the one that Ellie's not entirely sure she wants to look directly at. She knows damn well where things are headed, if she doesn't screw them up. But that doesn't make it not a little bit terrifying.

"Okay."

It feels raw, saying it. Leaves her feeling hollowed out on the spot and aching with the aftershocks. The both of them right here and now, putting words to it. Deciding how to live with it.

They never could have done this before. It's been a long, awful road to get to a place where they can.