Watching her face, hearing her words, Luke almost--almost--reached out. But he didn't. It would have felt unnatural, that simple comforting gesture. And yet... and yet, there was a twinge of pain, that he'd let her think that.
Of course she thought that. He'd done everything he could to discourage her.
"That's... not true," he said after a moment. "If I seem in a hurry to get rid of you, it's..." He stopped, the words catching in his throat with unaccustomed emotion. His right hand clenched at his side. "I've removed myself. From the fight. From the... from anywhere I can negatively impact anyone ever again." He held up a hand, as if to forestall her protestation of that. "I didn't do it to drag anyone else out with me. I don't want you gone because I want you to go away. I want you gone because you should be anywhere else."
He heaved a sigh and sat back, staring at the sea. It had taken a lot, that admission, and he was still unsure if he should have voiced it. It was too raw, after all these years, admitting he was lonely. However indirectly.
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Of course she thought that. He'd done everything he could to discourage her.
"That's... not true," he said after a moment. "If I seem in a hurry to get rid of you, it's..." He stopped, the words catching in his throat with unaccustomed emotion. His right hand clenched at his side. "I've removed myself. From the fight. From the... from anywhere I can negatively impact anyone ever again." He held up a hand, as if to forestall her protestation of that. "I didn't do it to drag anyone else out with me. I don't want you gone because I want you to go away. I want you gone because you should be anywhere else."
He heaved a sigh and sat back, staring at the sea. It had taken a lot, that admission, and he was still unsure if he should have voiced it. It was too raw, after all these years, admitting he was lonely. However indirectly.