"Why?" she finally manages to ask.
His hand slides up to her shoulder and squeezes gently. He doesn't say anything at first, and there's a whisper of tension in the air that speaks to his own struggle over everything happening between them.
She waits, barely able to contain herself as he gathers his thoughts.
Finally, he exhales. The action is heavier than normal, resigned. But his hand slides back down her arm and grasps hers as he looks ahead rather than at her face. "This One disliked our time apart as well."
He squeezes her fingers and says nothing else.
