Elsie had been slowly curling into herself, arms wrapped around her middle under her cloak, trying to hold herself together physically as much as she could. She couldn't really see through the tears, but she mopped up some of the flood with her sleeve when he finally said something.

All she could do was shrug a little at the first part; she hadn't really explained the selfish part of it, but would now in response to his question. "You already had, or were thinking about it, back in the library, I could tell. I meant it when I asked you not to do anything you'd regret," She managed, voice catching every now and then. It had been the deciding factor, or part of it anyway, to push her to try and end things as gently as she could, which had clearly backfired.

"What if, in five years, when you could still be playing, you're miserable and it's my fault? I couldn't, can't stand the thought of you resenting me for having to give it up." That was the selfish part of it. She looked up at him finally, blue eyes hopeless, all of the fears streaming out like the tears rolling down her cheeks. "What if you gave it up and I still couldn't marry you, couldn't convince my parents that's all I want? Then what? How can I just walk away from my family; no matter how much I love you?"