In this short scene, we learn that the two of them have been together for three years and have been lovers since the beginning of the novel. We learn that they've been spending a lot of time together, and that their relationship has been strained. We also learn that one of the reasons that they haven't been spending as much time together as they used to is because they're afraid of each other's feelings for each other. In this case, it's because of their love for one another.