Chapter 80: Miranda

The front door creaked behind me, and the stilted sound of footsteps approached. I swiped at my cheeks to remove the visible signs of my distress. Before I turned around, I took a deep breath and straightened my shoulders.

My sister waited at the top of the steps. "Wanna come inside?"

I didn't. Hiding sounded like a much better option. Or packing. That would be an excellent precursor to a flight back to New York. It had been stupid to come here and even more foolish to believe I could escape without harm.

Sarah waved her hand to encourage me to take the first step. Somehow, it seemed more significant than simply dodging my embarrassment. The men behind me had dispersed, yet the trail into the house still felt like a walk of shame. If this was anything like the talks Sarah and I'd had in the past, or better yet, lectures, I couldn't handle that on the backside of Austin humiliating me.