"Hey, I could've met someone while I was here," he protested, very nearly pouting. There'd been Fred, she was was nice but well she wasn't Abby. "You don't know! And he might eat less food but at least I don't go around nibbling bits out of the house plants."
He turned to look at her at her comment. "You have no faith in me at all do you, Abby?" he asked, "and you wouldn't really hurt me would you?" he asked, holding Rex more cafefully just in case. He'd seen what Abby could do, it was pretty impressive really.
"It's not too far," he added, as he led the way out off the library and up the road towards his flat, not walking too fast because really he was in no hush to tell her all about the town.