Chapter 28. The Contract Wall Cracks
"Why aren’t you asleep yet, Claire? It’s past midnight."
Julian stood in the kitchen doorway, still in his work shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He watched Claire as she sat staring blankly at her laptop, which had already gone into sleep mode. Claire jolted slightly, surprised by the man’s nearly silent presence.
"I was just checking some class schedules," Claire said as she closed her laptop. "Did you just get home?"
Julian nodded faintly and stepped inside to pour himself a glass of water. Claire watched him quietly. Since the photo incident and their conversation about Bellwood Lake, the air between them had grown awkward. An invisible wall had been thickening by the day. Still, strangely enough, Julian’s attention had only grown shar
