Sweat covered Daniel's face and neck. His jaw clenched from the pain. Still, he refused to make a sound. He didn't want to ruin the image of being unshakably tough.
Chantelle felt her own nerves spike just watching him.
Her voice came out sharper than she intended. "Stop swallowing the pain like that. There's no one here but us. You don't have to pretend with me."
Daniel let out muffled groans. He stopped holding the pain he endured.
Maybe he couldn't take it anymore. Or maybe he sensed Chantelle's frustration.
At first, Chantelle focused only on applying the ointment. She didn't notice anything unusual. But when she was almost done, her attention shifted slightly.
That was when she noticed Daniel's muffled groans sounded different. It wasn't inappropriate. But if someone heard it with their eyes closed, it could give off a strange impression.
Chantelle's ears turned red. She instinctively sped up her hand movements.
