It hadn't been easy understanding what was best while standing with Elliot. It's oddly harder to understand it now, when all he wants is to pretend things can stay just like this forever. When the passive hurt of loving her from a distance won't be replaced with the active hurt of having her reject their half-plan.

But they can't both be entirely off the mark, right? They can't both love her as much as they do and not have a guess at what will help her, surely?

"...it's... I mean, 'm pretty sure it's not actually a secret how much, I-- care about you, yeah?"