"Of course I fucking—!" he starts at a shout, then immediately cuts himself off and takes a deep breath, continuing in a harsh whisper so he doesn't alert the rest of the house to this drama unfolding. "Of course I fucking talk about her," he hisses, "I love her. She's my family."

It's not that he wants to crumple Cougar's letter, but it's better to crush the letter between his fingers than Cougar's throat.

"I told you everything," he continues, feeling hurt and betrayed and angry for reasons he can't quite fathom. "All those pathetic sob stories about my stupid fucking life, stories about us, stories about them," he gestures towards the door to indicate his sister and niece, "and you never said a word."

He throws the letter at him, watching it hit him in the chest and fall with a sad little whisper to his lap. "I don't give a damn about Don't Ask, Don't Tell!" he continues, forgetting not to shout. "You think I wouldn't have liked knowing I could confide in you without having to write it down first? You weren't the only one who needed help in Bolivia, Cougar! I needed you. You were right there and I spent weeks torturing myself with the assumption that you probably hated me because I disappeared on you and you were right fucking there the whole time!"