She cared about her family and her friends, but she’d never
felt the same kind of sensation. She’d lost someone close to
her before, her father, but she didn’t feel the fresh, stabbing
pangs of grief that she felt when she thought about sending
Haley away. With her father, she’d been almost relieved when
he passed. He was a terrible man who had done terrible things
to her and the rest of her family.
“Claire?”
She jumped at her desk, her hands skittering off the
keyboard. She placed them both in her lap and turned what she
hoped was a blank expression toward Jenny, who had just
stepped into the office. Just, as in maybe she’d been there for a
while and Claire hadn’t even heard her come in. She wouldn’t
have knocked because she was Jenny and she didn’t need to
knock, but she wouldn’t have snuck in either.
“Sorry.” Claire rubbed at her neck. “I got a little too into
what I was working on.” Liar. She’d been pathetically not into
what she was doing.
Jenny stared at her with narrowed eyes like she knew that.
Jenny probably knew everything. She had a sixth sense like
that. Omnipotence. She also had a bullshit meter that was
incredibly accurate, but if she didn’t believe Claire, she didn’t
let it show.
She did cross her arms and walk forward, until she was in
front of Claire’s desk. Jenny was an imposing woman, and for
the first time, maybe ever, Claire felt a little bit like she was
about to get scolded. She didn’t like the feeling one bit, but
she stayed quiet. In her experience, it was sometimes best not
to try to get the first word but to wait for people to unburden
themselves.