"Yeah, I know that." That wouldn't stop him from claiming he wasn't bitter about things. But getting settled and giving himself more of a life was a much better option than sitting down and talking everything out with someone. There wasn't a single person he'd actually consider for that.

And, it didn't fail. They always circled back to the way things were. It was another reason they'd never really be able to move past things to become anything close to friends. "I know it's a part of life, but it's not something I want right now. I'm thinking about getting a job instead."