Anna grimaced, "Oh Anya... you said exactly the wrong thing. I think he'd finally started making a decision and when you said that... I think you just confirmed that he was hurting you by trying to be with you and he never does well when he's rushed on a choice... He panics, too much pressure."

She put her chin on top of Anya's head, "It'll be alright and you aren't stupid... just hurt." She couldn't help feeling it might have been her fault a bit. She'd encouraged Anya to keep chasing Seb, told her that he'd been close to a decision... Maybe if she'd stayed quiet this wouldn't have happened.

"Seb is so wrapped up in not wanting to hurt you that the fact that he hurt you by being that way means he loses either way... You have to show him that being with you isn't going to hurt you." She sighed, "But I understand how the flirting and pulling away could twist you up inside... Maybe just talk to him... ask him to try... or give him time. Maybe he'll come to that conclusion himself if you give him the chance."

~*~

Seb glanced over his shoulder and spotted Gunner before he gave a tired shake of his head, "I fucked up... What else is new?"

He leaned back on the rock again with a groan, "She thinks I was leading her on... I hurt her by trying not to hurt her... How talented am I?"

He took another drag from his cig, "The really screwed up thing? I really thought there for a minute that I could maybe actually be with her..."

Seb shook his head, "So, I closed her out. It's better for her that way... I'll go and flirt with other girls like I did before and stay away from her... let her move on so I don't hurt her again..."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes as a headache started, "She's the last person I wanted to hurt Gunner... and I just keep doing it... over and over."