[This is a story in pieces. It started on his third day in Marina and ever since then new bits of information were unearthed every so often, slowly forming a full picture. Names, details, fragments that eventually filled in holes and cracks until he's left with something that's near full - this is why he's never stopped her, never said anything about hearing this before. There's always some new little detail. Always another piece of information, no matter how small.
This isn't small, but it is new.
The pause leaves him with a sick feeling to his stomach, and of course he has a pretty good idea of what she's about to say. There's only so many things it could be but seeing the shadow of a monster doesn't make it any less scary when it finally steps into the light. Without really realizing it himself, Reid holds his breath and waits.
When it comes, it's like a punch in the gut, forcing a hitch in that held breath. She can't see him and that's probably a good thing right now - he's never been good at dealing with these things when it happens to someone close to him, and this is one moment when there's not even the shadow of an attempt to control micro-expressions. He squeezes his eyes shut, bites into his bottom lip until he can swear that he tastes blood because that's the only way he can steady his voice right about now. Maybe she doesn't need him to be strong but he does, if only so he can pretend to be any kind of support in a situation he can't even begin to grasp.
Only, that's not true. It's all too easy to imagine that kind of betrayal, just like he doesn't have to try all that hard to know what it would feel like if he lost her.
He can't remain silent forever though and so he swallows, hard, forcing himself to not let this affect him too much. Needless to say this is going to bleed out into his actions the next time they're in a room together, and it takes more effort than he's willing to admit to not just go out and see her. Hold her. Make sure she's still here and okay and not going anywhere, but right now this line will have to do and so he breathes the one thing he can reach for, voice much too strained for his liking.]