He saw her tears, could feel the pain coming off her in waves. When she started to turn away, he gently wrapped his arms around her. "It'll get easier, in time."
Her tears were falling thickly, yet even in her misery, she noticed the body pressed against hers. Noticed and compared it to what she remembered. Angela stepped back slowly.
"You want to stay here a day or two?"
"And do what?"
Marc pulled a thoughtless answer out of his head, not expecting the question, "I could teach you to hunt."
He winced as he heard himself, bracing for anger or more tears, and was amazed by her strength when she gave him a tiny, rueful look of accomplishment.
Might as well. I've passed the gun test."
They spent two full days at the preserve, and Angela improved quickly, telling herself over and over that she'd had no choice. They spent the days working out, drilling on what she'd learned, and Brady's arms during the darkness kept her nightmares at bay and her heart frustrated by the walls still keeping them apart.
They were back on the road soon after, and then to separate tents without a word spoken about it, but things had changed between them. Angela felt it and worried over who would survive the resulting firestorm when Marc realized it too. Everything was getting closer now.