[He winces at the tone of her voice because this wasn't what he'd wanted. He's sick of hurt feelings and confusion. Part of him wishes that he'd just gone away before the whole thing happened, stuck it out in the woods or the mountains for the duration.]

I hope so. I'm terrible with feelings. They've always been something bad, a weakness. An inconvenience to the people around me, and to myself, mostly.

I don't date. I don't get involved because it's dangerous. I don't get attached.

And now I'm here. And nothing works right anymore.