It had a lot to do with discomfort, with emotional honesty being so difficult for him. That mattered less with her, but it was just a habit by now.

"It's the preamble," he replied with a touch wryness. It faded as Devin sighed. "What you said-- there's no way you could have known how things have changed for me, or that it would be worse now than it was the last time we saw each other. My anger was less with you than with the situation, and it wasn't fair of me to react the way I did. I shouldn't have pretended like I wasn't feeling what I did, either."

She had touched on a wound that had never really healed, that finally had a chance of closing forever and at the same time Bobby was ripping it open again.