[Another pause. Only this one is more because he's not totally sure himself.]

What other choice did I have? I can't just try and avoid her forever, can I? There's no telling how she would have reacted to seeing seeing me again, let alone Florian...

[But there was more to it than just that, and Ion knew it. The free hand resting above his knee tightens into a fist.]

...I didn't want to go back to being Ion's replacement again.