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Claire was keeping so carefully guarded there.

In the kitchen, for just the briefest second, there was

something different about her. When she’d stepped in, Haley

had immediately noticed an energy running just under Claire’s

surface. Had she been nervous about meeting Haley’s friends?

It made Haley realize just how much Claire had been herself

when they were together. It wasn’t just layers and masks. It

made her more determined than ever to break through that

distance.

“Something romantic,” Haley mused. She studied the keys

for a few seconds, watching as Elva seemed to brace herself at

the window. Amy kept her head nestled on her shoulder.

“Okay. Here’s one.”

She had a list of about a hundred songs, pop and classical

and everything in between, that she could think of. She chose

the top five and decided to make it a challenge and blend them

together. She’d pull Elva out of her mysterious funk and get

Amy roaring with laughter as they tried to guess which they

were. Maybe Snake would even join in.

Haley started playing, and the only thing missing, the tiny

piece out of the puzzle of her joy for the day, was the fact that

Claire wasn’t there to share in the moment.

Chapter 13

Haley

“That’s not anything I recognize.”

Her hands stilled on the keys. The room went silent except

for the cadence of her harsh breathing. Claire’s hand slipped

from her shoulder and tiptoed to her neck. She pinned Haley to

the bench, her fingers wrapped around her throat lightly.

“I’m sorry if I kept you awake. I know it’s late,” Haley