He hadn't expected her to relinquish his hand only to grab onto the whole rest of him, and Tal wasn't prepared to defend himself.
He wasn't sure he wanted to, either.
He didn't know what he wanted any more.
For the pain to stop. But not to hurt Delia, either. For space and the safety of solitude. But also for the warmth of family and a feeling of belonging. Conflicting wants and needs swirled in his gut and he finally squeezed his eyes closed and brought a tentative arm up to rest against Delia's back.
"I... I don't know. But... I don't want t'fight with you, either," he admitted through another heavy sigh. "I shouldn't have brought it up." A lesson he wouldn't forget anytime soon, at least. "Couldn't care less what most people think. But you..." Caring about Delia and what she thought of him meant that she could wound him in a way few others could, as he had learned today. The words caught again in his throat and he shook his head, swallowing them back down.
"Just... let it go, Delia. I'll figure it out myself," he finally said, letting his cheek rest against her hair as he stopped trying to resist both her apologies and her embrace. "'m sorry, too. For makin' you cry."
He wasn't sure he wanted to, either.
He didn't know what he wanted any more.
For the pain to stop. But not to hurt Delia, either. For space and the safety of solitude. But also for the warmth of family and a feeling of belonging. Conflicting wants and needs swirled in his gut and he finally squeezed his eyes closed and brought a tentative arm up to rest against Delia's back.
"I... I don't know. But... I don't want t'fight with you, either," he admitted through another heavy sigh. "I shouldn't have brought it up." A lesson he wouldn't forget anytime soon, at least. "Couldn't care less what most people think. But you..." Caring about Delia and what she thought of him meant that she could wound him in a way few others could, as he had learned today. The words caught again in his throat and he shook his head, swallowing them back down.
"Just... let it go, Delia. I'll figure it out myself," he finally said, letting his cheek rest against her hair as he stopped trying to resist both her apologies and her embrace. "'m sorry, too. For makin' you cry."
