The question caught him by surprise, and he almost blurted out no, but thankfully he was raised with some semblance of tact. He opted for chewing at his bottom lip while he mulled it over carefully. It seemed like a loaded question, although he was sure Eden didn't mean it that way. René looked up and regarded her silently. Maybe she wanted to be his girlfriend? That actually explained a lot, with the frequent visits and all. Still, as great a person as Eden was, he couldn't go along with a relationship simply for her benefit. Fake was one thing, but a real relationship was another thing completely, and it'd only end badly for them both.
He needed to let her down gently, and hoped that this wouldn't ruin their friendship. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but...no. I don't want anyone to be my girlfriend. I'm, uh." He brought his hand up to his mouth, lips pursed against his fingers in thought. "I'm not ready for a relationship," he finally admitted softly. "My ma worries, and she probably thinks that this means that I'm better now, but," his voice faded, and René forced himself to chuckle to prevent another pause. "I'm not. I can't make someone deal with me when I'm not ready to deal with myself yet, so I thought pretending would be easier."