Dan stays where he is for a moment and listens as Aster receives his confession and explains himself, all the bullheadedness leaving him as he thinks of how alone Aster is, how much grief Aster has to carry, and how much vulnerability it must have taken to bring Dan into his life as he has for the last few weeks. How sad it would be to once again be alone.

Dan knows how that feels, and that's why he doesn't lend anyone his vulnerability. Somehow, Aster got ahold of it, and that rattles Dan deeply.

"Alright. I hear you." He walks over and gives Aster's upper arm a quick squeeze. "How about if either of us wants to call it, we agree we'll both call it? That way I can trust that you'll bail if I see you in danger, too."

He gets the car keys out and hops in. "I worry about you too, you know."