The nurse had already left the room.
The room was quiet again. Though unable to see, Gabriel felt an intense, fiery gaze directed at her face.
Soon, a hand gently removed the swab for her.
“Thank you for saving Lillian,” Gabriel took a deep breath.
The swab landed in the waste bin, while Caleb's gaze remained fixed on her scarred face. His hand reached out to touch her, but it slowly fell back down. This was the first time in five years that Gabriel hadn't disagreed with him.
Yet, the next words from Gabriel shattered the hope Caleb had rekindled, plunging him back into desolation,
“Caleb, I don't want to owe you anything.”
He understood that even after he helped save Lillian, her gratitude would only stretch this far.
She drew clear lines between things, ke
