"I'm not convinced it isn't the same everywhere." He said. It was the truth. What he didn't say was that traveling with the entirety of Fox Grove -- many of them sheltered teenagers that rarely ventured outside, with their little bundles of joy in tow -- would be a death sentence. "People are assholes. It's like... part of the human condition." Jason took another swallow of vodka from the bottle and then grinned, as though he knew this as a fact because he was a proud member of the club himself. He turned his hand, which had been lingering on her shoulder, trapped by her palm, to catch her hand in his and return the squeeze.
Jason's jaw clenched slightly at this final statement, but he nodded with curt resignation. Maybe it could have been taken as a compliment on a different day, but all it felt like was a locked cage. He met her gaze, shadowed blue eyes staring fiercely back her. "I know you do." It was why he'd stayed in the first place -- why his friends might be dead -- why he hadn't packed up his belongings months ago and left on his own, with the hope of finding something new, something better on the road. He had accepted the responsibility of his role within Fox Grove, even if it wasn't something he had ever directly asked for. Most of the time, he recognized that he was better off for it. Not being alone.