Broken Boulder peel back your skin and try to forget how it feels

If any one thing defined their friendship in Alarian's mind, it was this: Delight's seeming inability to allow him his selfish, bitter thoughts, and his suspiciously flawless method of pulling him from them when they spoke. Wherever he tried to detach himself, his friend seemed to follow with glue and persistence. Maybe it was only because they had to be on good terms, technically, and—
I appreciate you. Whatever he had been thinking, he wasn't anymore. He didn't mean it that way, he snapped at himself immediately— and wondered why he wished it wasn't true, and why he was always the last to know these things about himself. He glanced away from Delight to blink away unexpected moisture in his eyes. Not that it mattered— not that someone like Delight would ever look at him that way— and haha, oh yeah, kids. Queenie. What even was Queenie to him? Did that matter, now? Three words and he was a mess; only Delight could do that.

You're welcome, Alarian managed, voice a little thick. When his gaze did return to his friend, he didn't bother to hide whatever emotion he was feeling right now. He wasn't quite sure what it was. He wasn't quite sure he wanted to know. Delight, I— A million endings crumbled quietly from where his voice broke, cut off by a sharp rise of emotion. He looked away again.
And remembered.
Lily is gone, The words tumbled from him after what seemed like forever, tone far different now. Panicked. She left. We had an argument— He paused, swallowing hard. It's my fault.