Sierra’s Pov
I felt the air change the instant I walked in.
At first, I’d thought it was probably a subtle change in the weather, because I had been outdoors for a while. I'd used the center as an excuse to escape Xavier’s invasive questions, and the heat that had settled into the depths of my stomach so badly that I could barely breathe.
But the distance hadn't kept my thoughts at bay. Instead, it had only worsened them, until I’d been exhausted from the weight of having to hold it all together.
Now all I wanted was a shower and my bed.
I inhaled slowly, and crossed the foyer, just as my shoulders began to ache. I groaned slightly and bent to slip off my heels, when I heard it.
Laughter, that sounded like Axel’s. And then, another… a woman’s, and for a crazy second, I thought it s
