She is his friend, certainly, but something about their relationship makes it feel like it isn't a strong enough word. Are you really just friends with someone you grew up with, someone so special you can recall the first moment your fingers brushed? The first time you saw her cry, the first time you decided any blow was worth taking if it meant shielding her? Clive swallows his breath and nods. He never wanted to stop being friends.

"I appreciate that," he says, but he knows in that instant that he'd do it anyway just for her. "I do not want to be so distant from you ever again."