Anna pulled back just enough to look at him, her eyes glassy but fierce. "I wanted to scream at her," she admitted. "I wanted to call her out for every single lie. But I knew that was exactly what she'd expect."
Daniel brushed his thumb beneath her eye, wiping away the tear she hadn't realized had escaped. "You didn't give her that satisfaction."
Anna let out a shaky laugh. "No. I didn't."
She leaned back into him again, resting her forehead against his shoulder. "She's dangerous, Daniel. Not because she's loud or reckless—but because she's subtle. She makes you doubt yourself while smiling at you."
"I know," he murmured. "And that's why you handled it perfectly."
Silence settled between them, broken only by the quiet hum of the engine and Anna's gradually slowing breaths.
"I don't think I could've walked out of there without breaking if you weren't waiting for me," she confessed.
Daniel pressed a kiss to her hair. "You never have to do things like this alone. Not ever."
