"I don't want to be in love with you,"

He said it before he really realized he was speaking, and when the sound belatedly reached his ears the world sort of stopped. He gasped, startled, and went stock-still. He felt his eyes well up with tears and he hated it, he hated himself and his mouth and his eyes and his tears and his fear over everything-- But there it was, he'd said it, and he couldn't rewind anymore than Davesprite had been able to save John.