Eye of the Storm -SAFE HOUSE BOOK 2-

3

Even though she was safe at the Carters' house, she could still hear the teasing and taunts of the other students at school. She didn't fit in, and everyone knew it, but that didn't mean they had to rub it in her face. Briana tried to hide it to the best of her ability, but sometimes it didn't work. Her new housemates always seemed to know when something was going on with her. Was that supposed to be a blessing or a curse? Biting her lip, she guessed it was a little bit of both. They cared about her, there was no denying that. She just needed to make sure she followed the rules so she and Austin could stay together. She had lost the only life she had ever known... she wasn't going to lose him, too.

That Saturday morning, she crept down the stairs a little before noon. Austin was sitting at the table, eating cereal, and writing something in his journal. Grabbing a glass and filling it with juice, the girl slid two waffles into the toaster. "Is there any jelly," she asked her youngest foster brother as he made his way into the kitchen, fidgeting with the collar of his shirt. Nodding, he struggled to pour himself a glass of milk, only refusing Briana's offer to help. With a shrug, she let him do as he pleased.

She sat beside her best friend with her breakfast, a steaming cup of coffee clutched in one hand. Austin put his pen down, pulling her into him. She took in the sweet smell of his skin, listening to his heartbeat until they heard heavy footsteps approaching and immediately shifted positions. What if they got the wrong idea again? Austin had always been her lifeline, her support system. She couldn't picture herself getting through a day without him.

Briana heard her foster father before she saw him, stairs and floorboards creaking underneath his weight as he entered the kitchen to see her and Austin sitting there, Caleb in front of the television with his milk. A grin on his face, he took his coffee out of the cabinet. "Good morning, everyone. Did you two sleep okay," he inquired, running a hand through his hair.

Both teens nodded, turning the corners of their mouths towards the sky just to keep up appearances. At least there was no reason to lie to Jamie. She was happy there, unless someone brought up school... but Austin and Devon said they were going to help her discuss it with her foster parents. Someone was going to help her figure things out.

If Jamie noticed she was anxious, he didn't comment on it. Fidgeting with the collar of her shirt, Briana took Austin's hand. He kept giving her these weird looks as if he was trying to memorize her all over again. She wasn't sure why, and she didn't want to ask.

It wasn't long before her heart threatened to jump out of her chest. "Briana, can I talk to you for a second," Jamie inquired as the girl started to make her way back to her room. Stopping in her tracks, she cast a terrified look at Austin. Was she in trouble? Did the Carters not like her anymore? The only thought in her mind was that they were going to punish her or send her away. Bracing herself for the worst, she turned back towards her foster father slowly.

Casting a look at Austin, she bit her lip as he squeezed her hand. "Briana," the boy reminded her, "he won't hurt you. He's not like our birth parents, you know that. I'm sure it's hard to remember- I still forget sometimes, but we're safe now." Heart rate slowing, Briana swallowed hard. Was she always going to be afraid, because of what Sicily had done to her? Did her past destroy her faith in humanity that much?

Heart still thundering as she stepped into Jamie's office, she managed to force an anxious smile. Jamie reached out, hands towards her, but finally bit his lip and drew back, continuing to organize whatever files he needed for the day. She wondered what he needed her for. As the man took a long sip of his coffee, blond hair catching fire in the sunrise, he smiled. "Devon and Courtney said you don't like school. Is everything okay?"