Thinking back, perhaps it took me longer than it should have to guess that he wasn't playing ball, so to speak. In fact, he actually had to punch me in the face get me off him - although he was very apologetic about it afterward.
The narrator reflects on a past experience, recognizing that she was slow to realize someone wasn't engaging honestly with her. This hindsight reveals a level of confusion and naivety on her part, as she was caught up in the situation without recognizing the underlying truth.
The incident escalated to physical confrontation when the other person had to resort to punching her to make a point. Although he felt remorseful afterwards, the...