back exactly the way it was, then she made sure the room
looked untouched before shutting the door and walking back
downstairs.
The knock at the door took her by surprise as her foot
touched down on the foyer landing. She looked behind her,
wondering if there were cameras and it was the police out
there, but no. No, she was being silly.
The doctor. That’s probably him.
She rushed to the door, and sure enough, she found a
middle-aged man, younger than his voice made him sound,
standing on the huge stone step.
“Please, come in,” she choked. “I’ll get Giana. Where
would you like to examine her?” It sounded so wrong. She
wouldn’t want to be examined like that. Left alone with some
guy in a huge house. She had a moment of compassion when
she remembered the terror she saw in Giana’s green eyes when
she kept saying she needed to go to the hospital. Was that cold
front she’d seen earlier hiding pain that went right to her
center? Or did Giana just not like hospitals like lots of people
disliked them? She’d only very reluctantly agreed to the doctor
coming as a lesser of two evils, it seemed.
“Yes. On the couch in the living room maybe?”
“Alright. I’ll tell her you’re here.”
It was time to put on her best fake fiancée face. Not that
Coralyn had any idea what that looked like. She was panicked
as she walked down the hall to the huge bathroom. The lump
in her throat felt like a boulder when she knocked. Her heart
clenched in her chest. She was doing this for her dad, but he’d
be so ashamed of her. He’d taught her to be honest. To fight
for truth and to stand up for good, right things.