Troy gave Jean a look. It was the kind of look that said seriously? And then, slowly, so that she could duck away if she wanted, he went in to kiss her. Are you listening? He asked, mentally. This isn't guilt.
He might not have been a smooth operator, but Troy wasn't shy. Not even a little.
Had the Phoenix been a shock? Yes. But anything he felt for Jean was his own, and not the result of pity.