He finally looked back, starting a little as she grabbed his hand--
And realized only then that she was on her knees. Shit. Even more than her tears her position made him instinctively flinch away from her, though he stopped himself from jerking his hand away again.
He couldn't deal with tears. Now that he could see them he scowled harder, feeling his stomach twist painfully at how distraught Delia was. There was no pretending otherwise now and he clenched his hands into fists against the realization that as much as she'd hurt him, he'd hurt her right back.
He hadn't intended that-!!
But here they were.
Slowly his fingers relaxed as she kept talking, but he wasn't fully paying attention. He sighed, a heavy sound that was almost a groan as he slowly sank to his knees beside her. "Alright, I get it. I'm sorry, too. Just... fuck. I'm still mad but... I don't want you feelin' like this, either." He reached up to rub the back of his neck with his free hand, glowering at a tree past her as he simmered awkwardly in a confusing swirl of unhappiness and uncertainty.
And realized only then that she was on her knees. Shit. Even more than her tears her position made him instinctively flinch away from her, though he stopped himself from jerking his hand away again.
He couldn't deal with tears. Now that he could see them he scowled harder, feeling his stomach twist painfully at how distraught Delia was. There was no pretending otherwise now and he clenched his hands into fists against the realization that as much as she'd hurt him, he'd hurt her right back.
He hadn't intended that-!!
But here they were.
Slowly his fingers relaxed as she kept talking, but he wasn't fully paying attention. He sighed, a heavy sound that was almost a groan as he slowly sank to his knees beside her. "Alright, I get it. I'm sorry, too. Just... fuck. I'm still mad but... I don't want you feelin' like this, either." He reached up to rub the back of his neck with his free hand, glowering at a tree past her as he simmered awkwardly in a confusing swirl of unhappiness and uncertainty.
