>>81466278You know, that's kinda what I find interesting about their relationship. Before he met Judy, Nick didn't have any friends -- and why would he, if they'd just stab him in his back at some point? He didn't feel he needed actual support, and that he could live essentially as a hermit in one way or another. At the end of the day, he didn't truly want to be like this, but he still felt it to be better than the alternative, if he could call it that.
After meeting Judy, and then after spending an extended amount of time with her, Nick slowly comes to the realization that he's experiencing a feeling he hasn't encountered in about 20 years -- being in good company. He feels emotionally connected rather than opposed, and now her company satisfies his craving for social interaction that he always felt deep down but tried to suppress. For once, he's starting to become dependent rather than trying to achieve full independence.
But once Judy said something that struck a nerve in him, the new way he perceived the world was broken. Once again, someone he came close to tried to go in for the kill, and almost instantly he reverts back to his original state. If he had given up there and then, he wouldn't have emerged wiser, but with better reason to say "I should have known" to himself.
