The Great Gatsby

Everything comes out in the open in chapter 7, and Gatsby tries to force Daisy to tell Tom that she never loved him. When Tom accuses Gatsby of being a gangster and earning his money dishonestly, Daisy watches and listens, looking at Gatsby with frightened eyes for the first time. She withdraws into herself, unable to say anything. Staying with Tom is the safe thing for Daisy. At worst, her life will continue as it always has been. With Gatsby, she would have to risk too much, and she's not willing to do that. As a result, she reconciles with Tom, especially after she hits Myrtle. She knows Gatsby will protect her, and she just wants to get out of the mess she's created and leave Gatsby to clean it up.

1. Consider this passage from the end of the chapter:

They weren’t happy, and neither of them had touched the chicken or the ale—and yet they weren’t unhappy either. There was an unmistakable air of natural intimacy about the picture, and anybody would have