"Neither did I," he says, running a hand through his hair and squeezing the back of his neck. It was the very type of situation he'd been trying to avoid; don't get close to people, so he couldn't get hurt and so they wouldn't get hurt because of their proximity to him.

For the moment he's at least going to pretend he didn't hear what she almost said, especially because he can't even allow himself to wonder if he could make the same slip.

He reaches out tentatively, putting a hand on her arm. "The thought of going out there with you and getting shot doesn't scare me. The only thing that scares me--scares the hell out of me--is of something happening to...to another one of my friends, and that includes you."