[ 'it's just a city, Abel' is as clear a tell of what Rand's really meaning to say, but hadn't.

so... Abel is watching him with that telltale silence that the boy might be cluing in means he is Thinking about it, and that Thinking about it means he's probably latched on to what's remained unspoken, and thus Rand is doomed. ]

...Hey, Rand?

[ ... ]

If you were to return home -- right now. To go to sleep, wake up right back in your own bed, then... what would you do?