in andrewâs life, thereâs a strict system of access. neil made his way into this system not because andrew loves him, but because he went through hell, didnât betray, accepted the rules, and never questioned them. if andrew says thereâs nothing between them, neil silently accepts it and understands that labeling their relationship is pointless. katelyn is an additional variable in his system, representing something from the world of normal people. he sees her as someone who wonât be able to cope with their reality. the desire to get rid of her is a normal reaction for him; thatâs exactly how his primitive defense mechanism works.
besides, katelyn is aaronâs attempt to pretend to be normal, but he isnât. aaron is just as broken as andrew. his girlfriend is a symbol of that ânormal lifeâ that andrew hates, because itâs all a lie. andrew knows that in a critical situation, katelyn will either run away or break down, whereas neil wonât. thatâs exactly why he trusts neil unconditionally but disregards katelyn. until she proves sheâs trustworthy, itâll stay that way.
the truth is, katelyn doesnât care about anyoneâs approval. her goal is to be with aaron, not to win the blessing of his strange, silent twin brother, who looks at her as if sheâs invaded enemy territory and is walking through a minefield. she doesnât need to prove anything to anyone. itâs enough that aaron chose her.
andrew doesnât know what sheâs really like? she doesnât care. andrew interpret her unwillingness to prove anything to him as a sign of weakness or indifference? katelyn considers his demands an absurd intrusion into her private life.
they mean nothing to each other, and if he wants to continue treating her like an enemy, so be it. katelyn knows thatâs not true, just as she knows that itâs enough for her that aaron will always take her side, just as she will take his.