[center] When Kieran had let her go she’d felt weak - almost like she needed that support that was suddenly stolen from her. Even so, her feet remained planted and Clara did not turn to him. It felt as if the very weight of that night fell right back onto her shoulders; her wounds felt as if they suddenly started bleeding once more and she felt as vulnerable as she had that night so long ago. It was harrowing - hearing him speak of it; hearing him apologize for something that he’d never meant to do. It all had been a mistake, in a sense, and Clara still was not sure if she would ever get past the bitter taste suddenly in her mouth. His words echoed in her ear as she stood there, hardly moving. Her eyes only focused on the grass beneath her, and she’d almost been able to muster the energy to bite back at him. Her words only died into a quick breath as she’d heard the door open and seen Esther standing there. Part of her wondered just how long she’d been there - what could she have heard and what could she have seen. Either way, she swallowed again and straightened up, her arms crossed once more against her chest. No; nothing had just happened. Kieran was quick to collect his jacket and she did not watch him at first until he’d approached the door and offered his arm to Esther. She’d seen her little show of affection, and part of her felt that quick stab of something that she’d hardly wanted to feel. Fuck. She needed to go somewhere else and she needed to go fast. Everyone had settled in for dinner but as she came in, she’d noticed Kieran wasn’t quite there yet. So, she quickly slunk around the rest of them and into the kitchen in search for another bottle of wine. She’d grabbed the first bottle of white she’d seen along with a glass before she quickly headed away from everyone, making a beeline to the steps and up towards her room. The door slammed quickly behind her and she leaned against it for a long moment before she allowed her body to slide down slowly. Her legs were pulled to her chest and she’d only stared at the ceiling above her, the bottle next to her on the floor and the empty glass on her other side. She felt drained and yet something within her buzzed and raced - something almost awoken but unwilling to be awoken all in the same. Clara hadn’t liked the feelings surging through her; the thoughts and memories that once were hidden and now overwhelmed her mind. Fuck him -- She [i]hated[/i] how he could so easily do that. She hated how he made her lose control... -- Christian had seen Clara come in just as quickly as she’d left. He’d already had his plate ready and was sitting and conversing with the others before she’d left. He’d half expected her to come in and sit down with him, but her movements had him concerned. Not to mention, he’d seen the bottle she’d taken out and his brow furrowed in response. Wherever she’d been - whatever she’d been doing had upset her yet again. Honesty, it might have been a good idea to start thinking about taking her elsewhere. His thoughts had him glancing over to Kieran who seemed more content than he’d had the day before. The man was conversing and having quite the time, it seemed, which had only caused Christian to study him for a moment longer. Whatever he’d done or he had planned, if this was the consistent result of it, they’d leave soon enough. [/center][@Arista]