"It's my fault," I said softly. I touched his face, the thick brows, wide mouth, and the sprouting stubble along the clean,long jaw. "Mine. If I hadn't come...and told you what would happen..." I felt a true sorrow for his corruption, and shared a sense of loss for the naive, gallant lad he had been. And yet...what choice had either of us truly had, being who we were? I had had to tell him, and he had had to act on it."