I don't know who can see you If you've ever learned how to let someone in Well, I've tried to come find you But I just don't know where to begin If you've ever been open, there's no way of knowin' With the way that knowin' you has been Was it always so broken if these thoughts were spoken Would it bring us together again?

And the way that you said, as heavy as lead "You've always known how to get straight to my head" Thanks for the free ride And all of the good times Thanks for the free ride And all of the good times

As she took another hesitant drink from the glass that she clutched between her quivering hands in her lap, Betty just nodded, which was the only response she thought was required or could utter while she was doing so. She slowly coiled and uncurled her fingers over the glass as he talked. She clung to his words as he served as a reminder that she had fled and was no longer being kept against her will, and it was one of the most crucial things to grasp onto when everything else seemed so overwhelming.

'You're still you.'

Betty mulled over the words in her thoughts, well aware that she did not fully believe them; nonetheless, she felt a softness residing in her breast that suggested he did consider them and was fighting for her when she did not feel strong enough to do it for herself. When he came to lay next to her, unlike in the past, she wanted the security of his proximity once again. She automatically leaned into him as her knee rested against his, and she craved the comfort of his nearness. She could feel his eyes on her, but she kept her concentration on his hands, spread out over his thighs. This gave her someplace else to direct her attention, which made it seem less unsettling and exposed to meet his gaze. When he said he didn't care what their plan had been, there was a familiar flare of spirited defensiveness ready to fight back. He implied that it somehow trivialized what she'd gone through if it was all for nothing. However, he continued until he posed the obvious question to her, to which he certainly already knew the answer.

"For some time." she finally glanced up then, eyes searching. A ghostly smile pulled lightly at the corners of her lips as she remembered the route of memories with him intermingled in the photos throughout her whole life with the grin of the redheaded buddy was her best friend. She finally accepted it, even as she could feel his trademark sarcasm coating her words. However, the comfort of the sense of humor that they shared was one of the first normal emotions that she'd had in days.

The single giggle broke the stillness and loosened the tight tightness of her muscles as she once again finally started to relax and ease against him. There was an involuntary scoff of amusement that occurred due to the situation. It was not a secret to either of them exactly how obstinate they could be; yet, she did not see her stubbornness as necessarily a strength until now, when he framed it for her. Neither of them could hide the fact that they could be stubborn. She followed the movement of his hand as it made its way to her wrist, and as she did so, she became much less concerned about the glass that she was still holding. Instead, she let go of one of her hands and grabbed hold of his hand to pull his arm back around her, after which she nested herself against his chest and closed her eyes. "Even if that's the case, you're helping to end all this noise," she said. She confessed it, her tone gentle as she concentrated on hearing his pulse with her head pressed against his chest. Her voice was no longer riven with the anguish and sense of failure she had felt before.