Calm Before the Storm

At last, the incident at the joint training had been resolved and Ciara’s innocence had been proven.

But that didn’t mean she returned to Silvercrest feeling at ease.

Along the way, her stomach somersaulted over and over again, and she was feeling dizzy. She asked Scott to open the car window so she could inhale the fresh air.

“Better?” Scott asked. He looked worried, even though Ciara thought Scott would laugh at her for feeling panicked.

She shook her head. “Not at all.”

He reached out and pressed the back of his hand against her cheek. “Do you have a fever? Are you feeling nauseous?”

“You think I’m sick?” she asked.

“If not, then what?” Then his voice trailed off, and he glanced at her before looking back at the road. “Are you nervous? I told you that my father can’t kick you out.”

“That’s not the case.” She ran her hand, looking for her necklace pendant, then squeezed it. The locket now felt warm from the sun as she stood long enough in the courtyard half an hour ago to say goodby