She could hear the faint buzzing in the silence of the limo, could feel Derek’s eyes staring intently at her. Her heart was heavy, thick in her chest, and she held the phone like it was a snake she had just suffocated.
Derek shifted beside her. She felt it before she saw it… his hesitation, his energy pressing and retreating, like the tide drawn in two directions. His hand hovered in the air, finally brushing her arm. Tentative. Careful. His touch was almost reverent, like he was afraid she would shatter.
“I’m sorry,” Derek said quietly, his voice carrying a raw honesty. “I swear to you, Tess, I didn’t know they were coming. I never would’ve put you in that position.”
The sincerity in his tone tugged at something in her chest, but she didn’t trust her voice. She only nodded, her lips pr
