Claire’s hand slid across Derek’s lap, her fingers grazing him softly. It was meant to comfort him, to show she loved him in times like this, when the heavy silence had engulfed them in the hospital waiting room.
But instead of easing him, it ignited something colder—disgust.
Derek, hunched over with his head buried in his hands, froze at her touch. Slowly, he raised his head, his sharp, disdainful gaze cutting through the tension like a knife. Without hesitation, he slapped her hand away, his movements deliberate and filled with quiet fury.
“Stop,” he hissed, his voice low but firm. His eyes locked onto hers, a storm of emotions swirling in their depths. “You know as well as I do that this isn’t the time or place for this. Besides,” his voice grew sharper, “I thought I told you to st
