Sensing the storm of emotions swirling within her, he could feel her tense up, like she was barely keeping it together. Without saying a word, he pulled her just a little closer, his arm firm but gentle around her waist. His touch wasn't forceful—just firm enough to remind her that he is by her side.
She glanced up at him, he met her eyes with a calm, assuring smile. Something about it was reassuring, like a quiet promise that she wasn't alone and everything would be okay. And to her own surprise, it worked. The fear that had been threatening to consume her just seconds ago slowly ebbed away, like the tide pulling back from the shore.
It wasn't that the fear disappeared completely, but it lost its grip. Just a little. Like it didn't seem as loud all of a sudden.
She took a deep breath, then another—slower this time—steadying herself. Yes, she'd been betrayed, possibly used, set up. And not by strangers, but by the very people she had trusted the most. But she wasn't alone.
