He had turned his head to look at her, but he was still leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He wasn’t sure what else to say to make this better, but he knew he could certainly make it worse. Despite what he knew he could do to keep her away, he didn’t want to lose her. Call him selfish, he certainly did, but she was one of the best things in his life and he didn’t want to lose her, but he had to keep her at arm’s length. Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure if she would let him have it his way.
“We can’t… I mean…” he heaved a heavier, more frustrated sigh. “I shouldn’t have said anything, and I’m sorry, but we can’t.”