"Haha, Clara, I thought that looked like you from outside! It really is you." Since River Sterling's back was to Rhys Ryston, he didn't notice her and just spoke cheerfully to Clara Grant.
"What are you doing here so early in the morning instead of snuggling under the covers with Seth? Where is he? Is he not with you? Did he sneak off to flirt with other girls behind your back?"
Clara Grant knew River Sterling loved to joke. Under normal circumstances, his words would've already made her blush, but right now, she couldn't even spare a moment for embarrassment.
She sighed inwardly. 'Now I see why Ryston finds him so flippant and unreliable.'
If she hadn't known what Ryston thought of River Sterling, she might have found the connection between their names—Rhys and River—to be quite fateful. But right now, she just wanted River Sterling to disappear.
