Casey never thought he would get used to having another person around aside from Kane but he came to depend on hearing from Vera regularly. Even worse, he felt her absence on the days he didn't see her in person.
He had known she was dangerous! What was he supposed to do? The only way he would be able to see her every day was if he hung out with her in her workshop and he would never dare suggest such a thing. He would come across as far too clingy.
Clingy was annoying. Annoying was the last thing he wanted to be.
If he annoyed her, she wouldn't want to talk to him anymore. He had learned that lesson well when he was younger. Nobody liked an annoying person.
Casey didn't have to bring up what he secretly wanted though. She ended up doing it for him. She said she needed help loading up a piece of furniture and no one else in the strip mall was available to help her.