"Maybe you're seeing something in me that isn't there," Thom said as they appear again.

Their presence stirs something within him, their soulmate connection is something he can't deny, though he tries. He denies and resists the bond, the pull. He feels unworthy of their affection. How can he accept their love when he fears he'll only bring them pain? Yet, their faith in the soulmate bond makes him doubt himself more, not less.