You know what else happened in isolation? The inability to regulate one's response to actually having company, another being close enough to touch and focused on oneself. Why had he let her into his mind? Or maybe it was his problem--yes. It was him, unused to such contact and reacting inappropriately. Nothing had happened that couldn't be rewound. He'd tripped up, in revealing to her the extent of his loneliness, but then, he'd not even been aware of it until... well, now.

He shifted uncomfortably on the stone wall and his eyes slid to hers and away again.

"I told you," he said after a moment, his voice rough. "There's nothing for you here."