Chapter 38: Touching Moments

*Nathaniel*

I hear Claire finish in the shower and start walking around upstairs, but I didn’t think she would make her way into my study so quickly. I place the tray of bandages in my bedroom before leaning against the door frame, watching for only a moment before making my presence known.

“I thought you might be prone to wander,” I say, catching the startled way she steps away from the bookshelf. Her cheeks are flushed, and I can hear her heart racing. There’s something different in her eyes that wasn’t there before. Perhaps she isn’t just startled.

“I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” she stammers. I dismiss it with a quick wave of my hand and walk into the room up to the shelf of photographs.

“No need to apologize,” I say, catching a glimpse of the photograph she was looking at. I gesture to it with a nod of my head. “Curious?” Claire nods.

“A bit,” she admits sheepishly. “Is that from here in Detroit? I can’t make out the patch.”