He thinks he understands what Gideon had meant to say. Assurances. That he could in fact act differently than he had in the past. That perhaps he'd grown enough in the interim to give both of them a real chance.

"No," he answers, staring forlornly again at the ring. He longed to pick it back up and pocket it - hide it away where it could cause him less guilt by its very existence - but he didn't. It was his to bear, and a move like that could too easily do more harm than good, with Gideon's eyes on him. "I was not entirely certain of it myself, until just now.