"Is that all you're going to say?" Corwin persisted.  
>"What I 
>mean is... aren't you going to give me the usual speech about how I'm 
>a really great guy, and you like me a lot, and you hope we can still 
>be friends?"

...

Or, and work with me on this, he's worried that, by telling her how he feels, he's destroyed the chances of a friendship continuing, because the whole romance thing is a risky line to cross, regardless of age?

It's pretty simple to see. All you have to do is remember that most guys aren't 'Internet Nice Guys', and it's been pretty clearly established that Corwin is NOT AN ASSHOLE.

You're acting like Tumblr. That is not a good thing.

Matrix Dragon, J. Random Nutter