"How," he asked, laughing softly. "He doesn't handle his own emotions, how is he going to handle mine? Besides, he's dealing with Erica and Boyd missing, and everything else going on, he doesn't need me whining at him," he said, straightening and trying to blow it off. "Besides, I don't want him thinking I'm a liability or something, you know?"

He winced, shrugging. "I didn't mean to do it today. I can try and not do it next time? It'll maybe be a couple of weeks before it happens again. It was right after Boyd and Erica disappeared that it happened last."