Eddie wanted to promise he wouldn't leave but he had no way of knowing that. He didn't want to. He desperately wanted to stay here as long as he could, as long as there were people here that he cared about. But none of them were in control of that.
"I know," he told her, well aware of how hard it could be to put trust and emotion into someone who could disappear in the next breath. But he also knew how absolutely soul-draining it could be to be alone and to not have anyone to rely on.
"You can be both though. You can be strong for other people and still let them care for you too." He continued to brush his fingers through her hair for a moment but eventually reached up with his other hand to tip her chin up so he could see her face and wipe her cheeks dry as gently as he could. "But I would fight for you. And I don't think I'd be the only one."