"I'm paranoid and broken, too," he says quietly. Maybe it's not quite as bad as Annie's is, but it is still true. "But I can take care of myself, and I know you won't hurt me."

He takes that hand and gives her a small, cautious smile. "I am, too. So let's be scared together, okay? Maybe my mom'll help us out somewhere along the way. She likes me, I'm pretty sure." It's mostly a joke, meant to break the tension, but he gives her hand a gentle squeeze in any case.