#Chapter 117 – Avoidance Strategy

Lila I tried not to flinch at the sound by boots made in the corridors. I Tried not to look over my shoulder. My pulse was already too quick—my instincts would too tightly to the possibility of turning a corner and seeing either of their faces. I hadn’t seen Damon since I returned. And I didn’t want to. Not yet. Asher had passed me once, earlier that afternoon. I felt him before I saw him—his scent brushing across my skin stirring the memory of an almost kiss. He didn’t speak to me, but he paused a step too long as I passed, as if he might reach out. So I kept walking. I hadn’t turned around to look back either. By the time I reached my chambers, my shoulders were tight with tension and my braid was slipping loose. I shut the door behind me with more force than necessary and went to the mirror. My fingers trembled slightly as I began pulling at the pins. One slipped and nicked my scalp. “Let me,” Emma’s voice said gently behind me. I startled. She was already