Page 114 of Zane

She had already put all her stuff together and laid out her clothes. She planned to wear a comfortable pair of jeans and a lightweight sweater, just in case the testing room was cold. It was light enough that she wouldn’t be too hot as long as the room temperature wasn’t set to boiling.

“Where are you going?” Rori asked.

“To Spokane,” Kelsey told her. “I have some personal stuff I need to take care of. I’ve kind of been putting it off since I got here, but now I just want to get it done.”

“Do you want company?” Zane asked.

Kelsey had been afraid that he’d offer that. She didn’t want to turn him down, but he couldn’t come with her.

“I appreciate the offer, but I think I’d better just go on my own this time.”

Zane nodded. “It’s probably for the best. With my leg, I probably wouldn’t be able to keep up with you.”

“Maybe next time,” she said. “When I don’t have to spend so much time taking care of things.”

Kelsey could see the curiosity on the faces of the other three, but she resisted giving more details.

Would they offer her support and encouragement? Most likely.

Would she want them to know if she failed? Definitely not. Especially not Zane.

Since she was going to be up earlier than usual, she said goodnight around eight and went upstairs to take a shower and get to bed. Her stomach was churning with nerves, and she hoped that she’d be able to sleep because she wanted to go into the exam well-rested.

She resisted the urge to look over her notes and test exams one last time. If she didn’t know the subject already, she wasn’t going to learn it through last-minute cramming.

When her alarm went off at five-thirty the next morning, Kelsey crawled out of bed, surprisingly refreshed. Though she’d tossed and turned for a bit before falling asleep, once she was out, she’d stayed out.

After dressing in the clothes she’d laid out, she braided her hair, leaving a small chunk free at the front to keep her appearance from being too stark. The occasion didn’t call for a lot of makeup, so she applied just enough to even out her skin tone, then swept on a layer of mascara.

Just after six, she left her room, planning to get some coffee before she hit the road. The aroma of coffee that greeted her surprised Kelsey, as she didn’t think anyone ever got up that early.

Hurrying down the stairs, she approached the kitchen. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of Zane sitting at the counter.He looked up and smiled, his tousled appearance making her heart continue its wild gallop.

“You’re up super early,” she said as she walked closer and set her bag on the counter.

“When you said how early you were planning to leave, I thought I’d get up and make sure you had some coffee for your drive.”

Kelsey retrieved her travel mug from the cupboard. “Thank you. I really appreciate you doing that.”

“Are you sure you don’t want company?” he asked. “I would just have to brush my hair and get my shoes.”

Kelsey glanced over as she removed the carafe of coffee, almost wishing that he hadn’t gotten up because she didn’t want to have to turn him down again. But the ingrained need to keep potential failures to herself kicked in.

“I’m sure,” she said. “I need to tackle this stuff by myself. I should have done it sooner, but with everything that’s been going on, it hasn’t been possible. Finally, I decided I just needed to get it done.”

“Well, if you run into any trouble, call me, and we’ll come rescue you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said with a smile. “But I hope I don’t have to.”

She poured coffee into her mug, then added some cream and sugar. After stirring it, she put the lid on.

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted to eat before you left.”

Kelsey considered it, but then shook her head. The nerves in her stomach had completely robbed her of her appetite. Instead,she said, “I’m just going to grab a couple of granola bars to eat later.”

“You should take an apple or banana too,” he suggested.

Kelsey nodded and went to the fruit basket on the counter to choose a banana. “If only I could take some chocolate syrup to dip it in.”

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