Despite all her resolutions, when they do embrace, some of the tension bleeds out of her. The contact makes her breathe easier, relax some, a steadiness with her feet back on the ground. A longing satisfied, a heart soothed. She breathes in his scent and thinks, this is my friend.

A friend that she had told the truth to, and he did not turn away. Who she had cracked in front of, and he had spoken reason enough to soothe her -

And while there had been the desire to lash out, to strike something, even herself, there had been no overwhelming pressure to resist, no deep contemplation of how everything in the room could be used to slay him or what he would sound like as he dies to drown any other thought. Such a wonder to only feel impulses so.

She finds, at the heart of it all, a profound relief. He's safe.