Caleb's hands curl into fists where they're resting on his jeans under the table. He wishes Gabe would have told him that, if for any other reason than just so he would have known at a time when he'd have been in a better state of mind to react and comfort him. Now, his mind is like a scatter shock of thoughts and he doesn't know how to collect them.

"That's terrible, Gabe," he says quietly. "But I could have hurt you. I could have bitten you, or mauled you. I wasn't going to bring violence to you."