The Third Act

Her Final Escape Act

"I don't know what you want me to do, Henley. Why is this my fault?"

He watched her throw her hands up in the air and turn away from him in frustration, her red hair brushing against the back of her jet black jacket. In any other circumstance he'd be admiring how it fit her just right at every curve or how her skin nearly radiated in the day's last rays of sunlight sneaking through the window of the studio apartment or how her eyes seemed especially dark and hypnotizing that day. But at this point Daniel was too busy trying to prove his point- something he admittedly took too seriously sometimes. But despite the fact that he knew he was being more of an asshole about the matter than he needed to be, Danny persisted in proving he was right.

"It's not, you're just not making it any better!" she yelled back at him.

"Look, we have our orders. We-"

"Follow them. I got it, I know. But we've been waiting around for nearly a year now and nothing. How do we even know the eye is real at this point?"

"I-" Danny tried to cut in but Henley just talked even louder which told him she was even more upset than he had thought. Usually he's the one demanding the floor, not stopping until he got every last word he needed out in the air.

"Especially with the over precautions. Danny, you're driving all of us insane."

"We have to take extra precautions-"

"We are barely allowed out of the apartment!" she yelled, gesturing towards the door where Merritt and Jack sat on a sofa nearby, pretending not to be listening but there really weren't any barriers keeping them from seeing and hearing every last bit of Henley and Danny's argument. They usually tried to stay out of it the best they could, however.

"It's one thing to go out for a while safely and another to be completely reckless and idiotic!"

"I was going for a walk!"

"Alone!"

"To get away from you for a while, because I can't stand the constant condescending comments and controlling orders anymore."

"Henley, I-"

"Danny, I just can't wait around any longer. Not like this." Henley said, her voice dropping to a calmer tone as her eyes connected with his. Danny sighed and ran a hand through his hair, brushing the few locks that escaped out of his eyes.

"Well then let me see if I can get ahold of Dylan and we can figure out-" he started to attempt forming a compromise or at least something to keep her at bay so she could calm down and start thinking clearly again.

"I think I need to go." she said quietly. It was enough to stop him mid sentence though, a pang ripping through his chest. Did he hear her right?

"Wh- what?"

To be completely honest, this was one of the only times Danny had been rendered nearly speechless. His chest tightened and suddenly a billion thoughts went through his head as he played through the situations that could present themselves next.

She could just be being dramatic (not a stretch to say about Henley) and will calm down within the next ten minutes. Possibly she means just get out for a while? He knew she felt cooped up. "This isn't living" she had complained multiple times to him.

The other possibility ran through his mind as well. He just didn't want to accept it. Especially not now with how... close they had gotten over the past 10 months or so. She'd even said he was the only reason she felt like she could bear some of the endless days of boredom. He felt the same about her, but...

"I'm- I'm leaving." she choked out, her eyes now brimmed with tears.

Danny stayed completely still. He couldn't hear the murmur of Merritt and Jack in the background any longer either. The entire room was completely frozen in time and all eyes were on the female horseman.