[center] It was inevitable that  Jaden would follow her into the house – she had gotten used to it by now. It was how it typically went, wasn't it? Each night she'd head out into the town, wherever they may be, and for the most part he tended to find her. Almost like a game of cat and mouse. And yet, he would somehow manage to get under her skin, she would rip into him like she usually would, and both would eventually end up home while she drank herself to sleep. It was a toxic little routine that Clara would love to break, and on occasion she had been able to, however, she usually slipped right back into it give or take a few days. 

She had heard him enter the kitchen moments after her, longer than she had expected of him, but she hadn't entirely paid attention to his musings just as she had gotten the cork out of the bottle with a satisfied sigh before she poured the wine into her waiting glass. What had he been going on about? Something about the youth of today –probably still upset about the state of the home when they had arrived: the same thing that was keeping her there much longer than she wanted to be there. If it were up to her, Clara would have simply given the task to someone else and had been on her way just as quickly – she didn't want to stay long enough to hear the echoes of her past down each and every alleyway. 

Clara placed the bottle down on the counter before she lifted her glass to her lips to take a slow sip, tilting her head over her shoulder slightly as he continued on. No – she couldn't imagine ever acting like the young ones did today – she would have never seen the light of day had she ever run rampant like they had. Even when she was young, her biggest concern was her etiquette and the need to please mommy and daddy and keep their family inheritance going. That last bit of worry had been what had finally set her off to run far away from any of those simple troubles. The trouble she had gotten herself in thereafter had made her wish she had simply stayed home and indulged, married who her father wanted her to, so that she could grow old, have children, watch them grow, and then be done with it all. 

Instead, she ended up immortal, unhappy, and quite on her own despite Jaden by her side – unable to ease the ache that clenched at her soul every night. 

Hell, she'd kill to marry that controlling asshole of a Duke if she had the chance to do it all over again. 

Clara had turned so that she was leaning against the counter, half tempted to steal some of the cake that he'd pulled out. Still, even that wasn't worth the effort. She just wasn't in the mood to toy with him that evening. She supposed having to roam the streets where she grew up and inevitably was ripped away had that effect on her. 

She had been sipping at her wine when Clara finally listened and heard his next question, and she'd almost spit it out at the thought. Oh, she'd been to plenty of night clubs in his absence – That, of course, was essentially a hot spot for her to pick up whomever she wanted for [i]whatever[/i] she wanted. And to think Jaden was invited to one was almost laughable. "Darling – you will stick out like a sore thumb at one of those…" Clara began with an amused look on her features. Clearly she was able to calm herself from earlier now that she had a bit of alcohol at her disposal. "You're going on and on about how the youth of today lack in manners – most of which tend to manage themselves in these nightclubs." She continued with a raise of her brow. "You're actually humoring the idea of going?" She had asked with another sip from her glass. Hell, she'd go just to see how he could handle it. "And what, pray tell, do you expect to wear to this party?" She prodded further. 

"I mean – If you wish me to accompany you so terribly then I suppose I could go…" [/center]