He opened his eyes as she entered the room again. He hadn't realized he'd closed them but somewhere along the way he must have. He smiled over at her and sat up as she sat down. He couldn't help but notice how small she looked in his over-sized clothes. There was something so nice about seeing her that way that he forgot the thoughts that had been running through his mind since before he had dropped onto the bed.
"You're welcome, Shannon," he said, pronouncing her name thoughtfully as if suddenly understanding it for the first time. It was not Cassie. She was not Cassie and he knew right then that he didn't feel guilty for liking Shannon as much as he did. And he liked her a lot more than he had thought was possible to like someone he'd only known through journals and one intense lizard fight. Yet there she was. Still largely an enigma. But he did understand some things about her. The things that were a lot like him. And the things that were very Shannon but that she'd chosen to explain whether in words or in expressions. This was not a rebound but a new beginning for him.
His expression faltered as he wondered if she felt it was a new beginning for her. He slid from the bed and knelt beside hers to talk quietly. "I'm glad you decided to stay. I didn't want you to go."