[The hurt and the surprise wells up in his eyes, and for a few seconds, he can't actually speak.]
I...
[He doesn't, at least not really. He's just certain that he won't be able to help you, not while his heart's a mess and his own feelings are all over the place.
But how can he tell you that? How can he tell you about any of the things that he's dealing with at the moment? It'll all sound so terrible or outright selfish once the words have left his lips, and they might just take a whole new meaning of their own for you regardless of what he does.]
no subject
I...
[He doesn't, at least not really. He's just certain that he won't be able to help you, not while his heart's a mess and his own feelings are all over the place.
But how can he tell you that? How can he tell you about any of the things that he's dealing with at the moment? It'll all sound so terrible or outright selfish once the words have left his lips, and they might just take a whole new meaning of their own for you regardless of what he does.]