Mathias

Silence didn't come so easily to Veronica most of the time, but now, sliding into the cold water, she was content for a moment to say nothing, her eyes falling closed. She lay back, kicked against the water, body floating up to the surface, and gave a little, involuntary sigh. Despite the fact of people passing on the path not far away and the persistent chatter of birds and animals overhead, there was a kind of peace to be found there. It eased the faint burn of embarrassment that had run down the back of her neck. It was silly to worry about showing interest, and she didn't like to think of herself as being in the habit of running scared. She'd shown interest just by accepting. It was hard not to see the whole affair as her putting something on the line without guarantees. The question was, as it always was, just how much she'd let herself put down.

Upright again, she smoothed her hair back where it clung to her cheeks. "Being out here, it's like - Well, no, it is being in the middle of nowhere, but. Isolated."