Chapter 196

• Claire dashed a hand over her cheeks to wipe her tears. She didn't know where else to go- where she could cry without being interuptted by her loved ones or well-wishers- so she came to the only place she thought would offer her the privacy and quiet she needed during this phase of her life... The lake.
• The same lake that was her companion during her teenage years. The same lake around which she touched herself for the first time while imagining Hunter. The same lake that soothed her heart and brought delight to her face whenever she came here in the past.
• However, she felt cold in her heart tonight when she came here. Her eyes stung from tears that build up. Stopping near a tree, Claire slumped down. She was tired of feeling disappointed at how her life was unfolding.