[ He glances at her again from under the shade of his eyelashes, not lifting his head. ]

There's always somebody else to blame if you're looking for it.

And sure. I get it. We're all subject to forces outside our control.

[ Some people more than others, and what would she think, if she knew what he'd been letting happen to him, lately?

Except he's not thinking about that. He can't think about that. Less than denial, and more like the skip of a disc over a scratch. ]

But unless you've got a gun to your head? You're the one making your choices. [ He tips his head back, looking up into the wide blue sky. ] Even then. You could always just take the bullet.