"Listen," Cathal said softly, kissing her hand again to keep her nearby and show he certainly didn't want her moving away. "If you're still checkin' out my butt in a couple days, then maybe we see what comes of it then. I just can't be the guy that takes you home if he's not utterly sure that it's what you'd want in the clear light o' day."
Cathal did worry that maybe this was coming across as patronising, as though he knew what Marcie needed better than she did, but he was being honest. Not only did he not what to be a shitty kind of guy, he also knew that in this very white town, he wouldn't get the second chances or benefit of the doubt that others might if Marcie even hinted to someone that she'd made a mistake.