Well, he can't argue. Bodhi's sense of tactics is essentially... nil. She'd know. But that's another good sign. She's thinking logically about something, sticking with the same ideas. He'd have less hope, he reasons, if she were leaping from irrationality to irrationality.

A good theory that completely fails to supply a reasonable answer for her objection. "Helping." Meaningless, yes, but he doesn't dare try for a more specific story that would have to be a lie and could very possibly make her angry again. Actively angry, not this low-burning aggravation.