Anders closes his eyes and looks away abruptly before shaking his head, still not facing Sam again.

"Seemed. Past tense." It hurts, but he can't blame her whatsoever for her reaction. Every bit of it was deserved. And the pain another sign of how he'd lost sight of... everything. Reality, how things always go, what his priorities should be. He shouldn't have been that weak. "My fault, her choice, and let's not discuss that further."

There's no request there.

"The other, the eating, was mostly a joke, but it doesn't hurt to not eat something too spicy the night before. Or to avoid getting drunk." His voice is not as friendly as he could wish, but he's trying.