"Are you ok?" Jill asked once we exited the room without Jason and Justin with us, and she had closed the door behind us. Her voice was barely above a whisper, and she leaned closer to me when she asked that, with me shifting away from her ever so slightly. There was a small frown on her face, and a look of worry flashed through her eyes while she looked at me. "You seem not to have liked what Jason had told you."

I hesitated before I shook my head, licking my lips. "I do not," I said, my voice barely above a whisper after I cleared my throat. I wrapped my arms around my chest, and I tucked my head closer to my chest, biting back a tired sigh. "I'm worried about my group, and I want to make sure that they are taken care of."

"They are taken care of," Jill said, with a small hum in her voice while she slowly nodded. She cleared her throat and grew serious. "I know that you don't believe me, but I can promise you that they are being taken care of. They will be safe until you are able to see them this weekend."

I pursed my lips in annoyance before I tucked my head closer to my chest. I didn't say a word while I grabbed myself tighter. My whole body was tense, and my heart ached and became filled with pain and sadness because I didn't like the idea of being away from them so long.

Jill bit back a tired sigh and moved a hand through her hair before she moved a hand across her face. She shook her head and cleared her throat, licking her lips while she looked at me. "Now, are you hungry?" she asked, changing the subject and raised an eyebrow in question. "I know that you haven't eaten that much today, and I want to make sure that you do eat something else."

I bit back a small smile and slowly nodded. "Please," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. "I think I need to eat something before I do something else..."

"And what would you like to do?" Jill asked and raised her eyebrow higher in question while she studied me. "Do you want to go ahead and explore the community some more? I can come with you if you would like."

I hesitated before I shook my head. "I would like to go by myself if that is ok," I said. I rubbed my arm and grimaced, pressing my lips into a thin line. "I don't know if anyone is going to be mean to me, and I hope not, but I would like to explore everywhere by myself."

Jill bit back a small chuckle while she shook her head. "No one is going to be mean to you, Blaire," she said. "They know that you are a part of the community, even though they have not met you yet."

I breathed a small sigh of relief and slowly nodded. "Ok, thank you," I said before I cleared my throat and licked my lips. "When is school done?" I asked and cocked my head while I glanced at her from the corner of my eye.

Jill bit back a small smile and gestured for me to follow her. She started to walk to the kitchen, and I followed her while I pressed my fingers against my sides and bit the inside of my lip. "They will be home soon," she said, "and you will be going to school starting tomorrow."

I slowly nodded and bit the inside of my lip harder while I furrowed my brows. "Do you think that I will fit in?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. "Or will I be outcasted?"

Jill hesitated and rubbed her hands together when I asked her a question that was eating at me. "I do not know," she admitted. "However, you are going to have Parker and Declan with you, so you will not be alone."

Unless he decides to ignore me, too, I thought while I bit the inside of my lip before I pursed my lips in annoyance and tucked my head closer to my chest. I didn't say a word and set my jaw, with my heart aching and becoming filled with pain and sadness.

"Blaire?" Jill asked, with a small frown on her face as if she caught my sudden mood change. She furrowed her brows and cocked her head while she studied me, and concern flashed through her eyes. "Are you ok? What are you thinking about, Sweetheart?"

I bit back a tired sigh and shook my head, rubbing the bridge of my nose when a headache appeared out of nowhere. "It's nothing, Jill," I said before I cleared my throat and licked my lips while I shook my head a second time. "I am fine. Don't worry about it."

Jill scowled and narrowed her eyes, and I could tell that she didn't believe me when I said that I was fine. "I do not believe you, Dear," she said and shook her head, verbally telling me what she was feeling. "I hope that you know that."

I bit back a tired chuckle and slowly nodded, licking my lips because I knew that she didn't believe me. "I know that you don't believe me, but it is nothing. I was just thinking."

Jill frowned, and concern flashed through her eyes while she studied me. "About?" she asked and cocked her head while she studied me with a raised eyebrow in question. "What were you thinking about, Blaire?"

I hesitated and shook my head, not really feeling comfortable about saying what I was thinking out loud, especially since it was about Declan, and I had a feeling that she was protective of him for whatever reason.

"Please," she said gently. "You can tell me. What's wrong?"

I hesitated and licked my lips, biting the inside of my lip. "I know that I can tell you, but I don't want to talk about it out in the open like this..." I rubbed the back of my neck and grimaced, looking very sheepish and nervous. "Maybe later if that is ok, but I do not want to talk about it right now."

Jill slowly nodded and set her jaw, pressing her lips into a thin line. Worry and fear flashed through her eyes while she studied me, trying but failing to figure out what it was that I was worried about. "Are you safe?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

I bit back a small laugh and slowly nodded in confirmation. "Yes," I said before I cleared my throat and licked my lips, growing serious. "I am safe and am not going to do anything dangerous if that is what you are worried about."

I slowly bowed my head and cleared my throat, trying but failing to relax because I did not want her to keep being worried about me when she didn't need to be. "You have my word, Jill."

"And if you are planning on doing something dangerous, will you tell me first so that I do not get worried?" She raised an eyebrow in question while she studied me.

I bit back a small smile and shook my head, biting back a small chuckle. "Unfortunately, I am not able to give a straight answer to that question," I said, choosing my words carefully. I cleared my throat and licked my lips. "However, I will do my hardest to stay alive and out of as much trouble as I can."

I promise...