In the sheltering dark, he opened his mouth to speak… then closed it again. His hand held hers close.
"I've never trusted anyone the way I trust you," he said at last. "Not just how you'll speak and behave toward me, but at all; your judgment, your actions, your… everything. It makes me not worry about you because I know you can take care of yourself. That doesn't mean I don't want to help. I do. Just because you can go it alone doesn't mean you have to. But I know you can. Instead of making me feel like I have to help, it makes me grateful to.
"I've never really had that before. I can't think of anyone I didn't spend more time worried about. My ma, my friends, my… wife… I think our relationship was more built on worry than anything else. There were good reasons, but I think, now, that worry is a kind of distrust.
"I won't ask more tonight. It's not fair of me, when we're both… well, I can't speak for you. Thank you for listening.
"I guess I'm asking… next time you don't say something because you're worried how it'll affect me… go ahead and say it? As it is now… I know it wasn't for long, but I'm missing that friendship we had, with that trust."
no subject
"I've never trusted anyone the way I trust you," he said at last. "Not just how you'll speak and behave toward me, but at all; your judgment, your actions, your… everything. It makes me not worry about you because I know you can take care of yourself. That doesn't mean I don't want to help. I do. Just because you can go it alone doesn't mean you have to. But I know you can. Instead of making me feel like I have to help, it makes me grateful to.
"I've never really had that before. I can't think of anyone I didn't spend more time worried about. My ma, my friends, my… wife… I think our relationship was more built on worry than anything else. There were good reasons, but I think, now, that worry is a kind of distrust.
"I won't ask more tonight. It's not fair of me, when we're both… well, I can't speak for you. Thank you for listening.
"I guess I'm asking… next time you don't say something because you're worried how it'll affect me… go ahead and say it? As it is now… I know it wasn't for long, but I'm missing that friendship we had, with that trust."