He should have seen it coming, but the back of his head was slammed into flagstone before he knew what had happened. And then T.J. was pounding on him and screaming at him and he was merely trying to keep her from doing any damage. The thought of stopping her didn't even occur to him; she had every right to hate him right now. Maybe to hate him forever. 

"T.J.," he called her name, more than a few times, as she hit him. "I didn't...c'mon!" he called, but she was pushing off of him and still yelling before she was heading from the kitchen. Scrambling to his feet, he ran after her, grabbing her around the waist from behind when he caught up. "Stop, T.J.!" he said, grabbing at her arms next and pinning them against her. "Please, stop! I care! I care and I'm sorry! It was a stupid, insensitive, jerk thing to say! I'm sorry! I really, really am!"