I think Gunner's side of the story is interesting to make a comment on how love can be real and last for years in a "healthy" way until not anymore, Gunner could never be good for Theo again the way he is now, and it is not bc it worked back then that it has to work now—also I think it's realistic to show how grape victims are often graped by people they know, and in that sense don't "sturggle" the way we can expect them to, abuse takes so many forms that’s what makes it so difficult to deal with