The calm she showed him was a forced thing, and she carefully kept from plucking at the borrowed flannel pants or hoodie as she smiled at him, then at James. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and her cheeks were flushed from the heat of the shower, her long hair clinging damply to her cheeks. The sleeves covered the damage on her arms and shoulders, and she kept her hands tucked into the ends. She could only feel the slightest trickle of blood between her fingers as she gave them both a very thankful look, keeping her expression as serene as she possibly could.
"I make tinctures and healing salves in my apartment," she explained, proud of how steady her voice sounded. "I will take care of it once I get upstairs," she said. "I just- I'd like to be alone," she explained honestly, with only the slightest tilt of her chin. "With a cup of tea and my thoughts." She didn't add that she was so very scared, because it was utterly ridiculous. The vines were gone, after all, and there was no wolf, and no one had died. Why was she still feeling completely vulnerable and bare?
She didn't give them a chance to protest as she turned for the door. "I'll bring your things back tomorrow, James?" she asked, but she immediately slipped into the hall without waiting for an answer. Once there, she leaned against the wall, and she closed her eyes, the soft scent of roses surrounding her.