Crystal looked Eric in the eyes and said, "You have put me in a tight space, and my anxiety is through the roof. I cannot make a big decision in this environment. It would be best if you let me go. If you do, I will return in three days with my answer. Then, regardless of what I decide, I will stay for a month.
"You w-want to- l-leave…." Eric was taken aback. The thought of letting her go had never been a part of his plan. "How can I trust you to c -come back...?"
"You have Carlos," she replied, "and your arm is long. I know that if I crossed you, nobody in my life would be safe, and Noah would never get the antidote. If you let me go, I would have to return. You must see that…."
Eric's brow furrowed. "Crystal, no one has ever tried my patience or vexed me the way that you do. Do you know that?"
"I know it," Crystal replied meekly. "Will you let me go?"
"Besides thinking, what will you be doing while you are gone?" Eric asked.