She stared at the floor, and his heart just kept sinking. He should have been braver, should had stood up to her boyfriend, should have faced the repercussions. Then he would have been there, and things would have been better. Or he should have just jumped off that bridge and answered everyone's questions. Removed himself from the equation for once and for all.
His own eyes fell to the floor as he pulled his sleeves further over his hands and wrapped his arms around his body. He didn't know what to tell her. That her boyfriend was screwing her over and told him to stay away? That his junkie father had relapsed and Jamie was terrified to let anyone any closer in case they found out? That he wanted to die, and that he thought isolating himself from everyone would make that easier?
"I can't tell you," he eventually said softly, wishing that he could just bury himself inside his hoodie. A thought suddenly hit him, one that made his chest feel like a giant was sitting on it. What if he found out? He'd kill Jamie. He'd think that something was happening and he'd kill Jamie and everybody would know and...
Jamie pressed a fabric-covered fist to his mouth and took a deep breath. He couldn't panic. Not here, not now. The next breath hitched in his throat, and he covered it with a cough. He needed to go somewhere and calm down, but he couldn't leave. He just needed to hold on until he could leave somewhere and deal with this.