And once again, he wasn't bloody explaining it right, and there was that pity he'd been waiting for creeping into her eyes, and fuck. fuck. He couldn't go through with this. He didn't care what Tuck said, a book was more than just a favour, it wasn't the kind of thing that came free and it sure as shit wasn't the kind of thing that you asked of somebody you'd known for all of five minutes; what the hell had they both been thinking?
"It's not—" Stutely cut himself off, shook his head, sharp frustration bleeding into his expression. He'd tensed right up again; it was all he could do not to spring out of the chair and just fucking bolt. His eyes drifted momentarily across to the little girl, doodling happy at the table – don't make this a bloody scene.
He expelled a long, hopeless breath. "Ahh, no. I'm sorry. This was a bad idea."