This is probably the best outcome there could've been in this situation. And I bet Billy wouldn't blame Denied for never speaking up, even under the assumption that he always knew/remembered. Dude's scared and it doesn't seem like he wanted to ruin the relationship. But then the extra layer is that Denied is only now recalling it. He might've blocked it out initially from the trauma, and likely not on purpose!!

And it's not like Billy would've asked - that was definitely more of a Joe question. This is only to mean that a topic like that would be hard to navigate carefully (Denied is even sarcastic at first, saying "bout time someone asked" like he was offended). And Gonzalo probably only knew that "something happened", but not how or why.

So for Billy it might've been like, "it's none of my business, if he wants to confide in me, he will".
For Gonzalo, it's "don't press him on it, if he remembers, he'll elaborate".
And yet, it's Joe's bluntness that begins that process of unlocking the memories. Incredible...

Sorry that this comment in particular got so long and analytical, like. As I go through this, I start to see the many, many working parts that make the whole thing complex and impactful. My BBAU fans in Christ we are only 13 episodes in, and yet there is much to unpack already. God knows how much deeper it'll get later. Absolutely floored. Looking forward to more!