“I wasn’t avoiding you,” Robbie says, pleading for understanding. “I was avoiding disappointing you. There’s a difference, I swear.”

Okay, the difference is that Robbie would’ve stopped avoiding Vance if he legitimately no longer cared that way. Maybe. Honestly, the idea has a strange appeal, a promise of comfort and ego boosting and never having to be alone.

Which are… all things Robbie doesn’t deserve. But Vance does. And here he is in the middle of the whirlpool of confusion, which he can and has circled for hours. Which is more important, and what is he really afraid of?

“The doc keeps telling me I have to work accepting being flawed without beating myself up before I wind up with a phobia so bad I can’t leave my room. I told her it would be a nice vacation.” Robbie swallows hard and shakes his head. “I’ve let down so many people, and you still believed in me. Still cared enough to bother. I’m sorry I don’t deserve it. I wish I did. Then you wouldn’t be disappointed… god, you’re the last person I wanted to hurt. I wanted to protect you.”