[ But I could've is what he wants to say but he knows by now that it's not an argument that'll be listened to. If it was just this he'd probably be able to shake it, but he also has a vague memory of something like this happening in the future. That makes it so much harder to shake.
Not that he says any of this. That's not how he works. Instead he just nods in agreement, showing that he's understood even if he doesn't agree. ]