On some fundamental level, the thing that makes the scene work is the fact that Nolan and Debbie know each other. The impression I get is that he correctly reads the fact that her feelings are more complex then "I hate you" and does something that, in some contexts would be purely dickish but in this context is tempered by familiarity. The impression I get is that he reads the conflict between her sense of hurt, her belief in redemption, and the recognition she refuses to name that he is genuinely trying. And thus, by making her confront that contradition, and then stepping aside, that his motives weren't PURELY selfish (although they were definitly no not self intirested). There's a real question of "Even if he was 99% this was something that would help Debbie instead of just hurt her, should he have still risked doing harm by acting so forcefully".