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Caroline stopped at the base of the stairs, her gaze following the curved banister to the top. What had once been a welcoming, comfortable space now seemed ominous and scary. She needed to get ready for her dinner with Cade, but going in that possibly cursed room now freaked her out. What if it wasn't some silly ghost of her grandmother? What if it was something evil? Whatever existed in there clearly aimed to terrify her. At the least, unnerve her.

  She didn't want another face-off with April, so she sprinted up the stairs, swooped inside her now-normal room, trying not to dwell on the bone-chilling fact the chair was back where it belonged, and quickly gathered her clothes and toiletries. Arms loaded, she bolted to the bathroom, forbidding herself to look back.

  Caroline paid no attention to the scalding temperature of the water as it singed her sensitive skin. She was much too distracted to care. How had things gone completely off track and failed to make sense in a matter of hours? What was April's deal, anyway? Caroline hadn't spoken to her more than a couple of cordial greetings since April had come home from New Orleans. She'd always been polite, even friendly to her stepmother although the woman made sure to hog every minute of Eddie's time.

  Caroline had to deal with a girl her Freshman year who felt the constant need to put others down to build herself up. She was the epitome of a mean girl. Somehow, Caroline worried that April was worse than just mean. Marking her territory may not be April's only objective, but Eddie assured Caroline she would come around. Caroline needed to trust he would make a point to spend some quality time with her after he handles April's hissy fit.

  She sighed and focused on each muscle group as the surprisingly powerful water pressure pounded against the knots. Trust. Not something that came easily to her regarding her father and the entire family she never knew she had. But she desperately wanted to trust them. However, considering April's role in this family, the tension between them would definitely hinder Caroline's desire for an extended stay.