Chapter 121

Claire froze right at the bathroom door. She'd barged in without warning, catching Nelson in the middle of packing. His hand stopped mid-air. The flimsy "nightgown" he was holding fluttered open from the sudden movement, every delicate detail laid bare under the light. Fantastic. Claire's breath hitched. Could the floor just swallow her now? Nelson followed her gaze, brow arching when he realized what he was holding. That explained her weird insistence on switching pajamas last night. His mom really had a sense of humor... Without much of a change in expression, Nelson calmly tossed the barely-there item into the laundry hamper. "Let's go." Claire forced down her embarrassment and quietly trailed after him. Neither of them spoke. The air between them was... awkward, to say the least. Downstairs, Beatrice and Mrs. Lewis were already up. Breakfast was laid out neatly across the table—plenty of food, all still steaming, like they'd timed it just right. Seeing them come down, Beatrice's fa