Chapter 37
Kiara stood in front of her closet looking at the pile of dresses she planned to wear with Brody. They were all bright hues of pink, lavender, and violets that made her want to itch all over. Just looking at them made her chest tighten and her lungs struggle to take in air. She couldn't understand why she had ever thought wearing those dresses would have made her happy. Maybe it wasn't herself she was trying to keep happy. Maybe it was someone else.
As Kiara stood staring at the dress, there was a knock at the door. Her heart dropped, thinking it was Brody. She had no strength to deal with the screaming and blame game. For a few seconds, she held her breath, hoping he would leave if he thought she wasn't inside.
"Kia?"
When Killian's voice came from outside, Kiara let out a sigh of relief. She felt a flood of cold relief wash over her.
"Coming," Kiara called out as she walked to the door.
As soon as the girl opened her door, Killian's face lit up. He gave her one of his calm and relieved similes as if he too had been holding his breath. Kiara felt her heart flutter in her chest as she realized how much she had missed that smile. She had the sudden urge to be in his arms and bury her face in his chest.
As if sensing her needs, Killian stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. He saw the way she looked at him, her eyes soft and her lips parted. He couldn't stop himself from wrapping his arms around her and placing a kiss on her forehead.
Kiara pushed her arms under his and wrapped him up in her embrace. She let him walk her into the room as he closed the door and leaned against it. His warm lips were pressed to her forehead as he alternated between kissing her smooth skin and sniffing her hair.
"Are you okay?" he asked. "Did he come back?"
"No," Kiara shook her head.
"Good," Killian sighed. "You're not dressed yet."
"Where are we going?" Kiara asked. "I don't know what to wear."
"Something comfortable," Killian smiled.
"Are jeans fine?"
"Yes," Killian nodded.
Kiara dropped her arm and began to pull away when Killian suddenly took her hand and held it up. She paused and looked over her shoulder as he slipped the gold pixie ring off her finger.
"What are you doing?" Kiara asked curiously.
"I need to open a portal," Killian replied with a sneaky smile.
"Are we going off campus?"
"Yep," the boy nodded.
Kiara's insides cringed. Suddenly, her palms began to sweat as she stood staring at Killian, not knowing what to say. Her throat dried up and she felt a frustrated sob start to build.
"What's wrong?" Killian noticed the way Kiara's already tired eyes dimmed.
"I don't want to go off campus," Kiara shook her head. "I'll start to teleport."
"I'll be there," Killian reminded her. "I'll go with you wherever you go."
Kiara bit down on her bottom lip as her eyes watched Killian. Her nails rubbed against her palm and her feet were ice cold. The thought of teleporting and seeing those fear filled eyes brought a tremendous amount of dread upon her shoulders. She could physically feel her shoulders drop with the weight she had to carry.
"Hey," Killian reached out and touched the edge of her face. "I promise, I won't let you go alone."
Kiara slowly nodded. She took in a shaky breath before turning on her heels and walking into her closet. Reaching for the shelf, she pulled out her favorite pair of jeans and black sweater. Killian turned around as Kiara began to undress silently.
