[What comes out of Dirk's mouth sounds honest and way, way too familiar.]

[Carter shoots back] Why me and not somebody else?

[If Dirk gets frustrated with the grilling and gives up, that'll make it easy. It'll prove it's just a momentary lapse of sanity on his part. Better to find out now than later.]

[Shit. It's a stupid fucking risk to even think about. Safe and smart is going home alone and never thinking about what might've happened. He doesn't need anybody. He's been on his own for a long time and he's been fine. Lack of getting laid never killed anybody.]

[Carter lets out a long breath. He runs his thumb along the edge of the table, and pitches his voice low.]

Look.

I can't make any promises, all right? I'm not saying I'll go through with it.

[He glances at Dirk from under his brows. Every word's a fight against all the warning lights going off in his head.]

And you don't say a word about any of this. Not to anybody. Not now, not in fifty years.