Grow up

Ryder's heart pumps just a bit harder, though he tries to stop it. He didn't even really know what his problem was. "Well, Thirteen, like... I understand what you're saying, but... we have to be careful, you know?" He sounded so stupid.

Giving up, he stands to take his plate to the sink. But he feels guilty for not finishing the conversation. Talking again, his concentration stays on cleaning his plate. "People like w... like who we are... we can't just... I mean... my role is to get you back on your feet, not give you butterflies."

He hates his own words, but Thirteen had to grow up sometime. Was he talking to a little girl, or a grown woman?