[His friends. His kin. It always comes back to that.]

[Abruptly Aubrey tries to shove herself away—to push him back, too. Not with force, but enough to communicate this moment is done. She shouldn’t indulge herself like that too long, anyway.]

I know you keep saying that. [Whether that worked to separate them or not, she swipes at her eyes. It’s a tense gesture, still.] But from everything I know… that won’t make your friends happy. I-it can’t.