Chapter 156: Separation

"You're such a jerk!" Claire shouted, her voice trembling with anger. Tears welled up in her expressive eyes, not just from his hurtful words but from the humiliation she felt. "I never thought I was that kind of person in your eyes. It's not too late for you to regret this now!"

"What do you mean by that?" Lucas stepped closer, his strong hand gripping her chin without warning. His lips curled in disdain as he asked, "Are you saying you've made up your mind to break up with me?"

Break up? Claire's heart clenched at the words.

"No, no, that's not what I meant..." she stammered, stamping her foot in frustration. How could she have let things escalate like this? She knew Lucas was emotionally unstable, yet she still argued with him. "Lucas, I'm sorry. I misspoke. Maybe I just don't know how to express myself properly. I didn't mean anything by it—I only wanted to keep you from being too upset about Blaire. So—" Her voice faltered, realizing her words had tumbled out carelessly in the heat of the moment.

"You don't need to explain. I think I understand exactly how you feel," Lucas interrupted coldly. His face was unreadable as he released her and turned away, his broad back radiating an impenetrable chill. "Why don't you go find Blaine Jackson? For now, we need to spend some time apart—no matter the reason—so we can both cool down."

"No! Lucas, please, don't do this. Don't push me away!" Claire pleaded, grabbing his arm and shaking it as tears streamed down her face. "I only went to the hospital because Blaine doesn't have family here to care for him. I know I was wrong—I shouldn't have brought up those unhappy things. But please, don't send me away. I'll stay calm—I promise I'll stay calm."

"You have to take care of Blaine anyway," Lucas replied impassively. "This is the perfect opportunity for us to separate and calm our emotions. Let's take this time apart to reflect on everything." With that, he pulled his arm free and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

Claire stood frozen, staring helplessly at the closed door. Tears spilled down her cheeks in heavy drops, each one reflecting her growing despair. After a long moment, she turned and began packing her belongings into a suitcase. Thankfully, Thomas and Helen Zeller were busy in the kitchen, allowing her to leave the house unnoticed.

As she passed through the wrought iron gates, Claire hesitated and glanced back toward what had once been her bedroom. The bathroom light had already gone out—Lucas must have left the bathroom by now. A pang of sadness struck her heart, a deep ache she couldn't quite name. Was this truly just a temporary separation, or was it a final farewell?

---

Claire arrived at the hospital with her suitcase in tow and hesitated before lightly knocking on Lauren Wells's office door. Lauren had already taken off her white coat and looked ready to leave for the day.

"Lauren," Claire greeted softly, setting her suitcase down as she entered.

"Claire, you're finally here! I called you ages ago," Lauren remarked, her tone blunt as always. She didn't seem to notice the deep furrow in Claire's brow.

"Uh, sorry, the traffic was bad," Claire mumbled, offering a feeble excuse as she changed the subject. "Are you heading out now? If so, just tell me where Blaine is—what room, what floor—and I'll find him myself."

"Don't be ridiculous. Even if I'm in a hurry, it won't kill me to help you," Lauren retorted with a teasing grin. "Besides, if I left you to wander around this giant hospital alone, you might not find Blaine until tomorrow morning."

Claire managed a faint smile, though her heart felt heavy. Lauren's teasing wasn't far off the mark—Lucas used to call her "Snail Girl" because of her knack for getting lost or taking forever to complete simple tasks.

Lauren paused as she reached the door, her eyes catching sight of the suitcase. "Wait a second, Claire. I only asked you to stay with Blaine for one night. Why'd you bring a whole suitcase? Are you planning to move in with him?"

"Oh, well... Lucas said he needed some time to cool off, so—"

"So he kicked you out?" Lauren's voice rose sharply, her usually polished demeanor cracking. "Is this because I asked you to help with Blaine? Did he get jealous and throw you out because of that?"

"No, it's not like that," Claire quickly assured her. She sighed inwardly, knowing how impulsive Lauren could be. "I think Lucas is just grieving over Blaire's death and needs some space to process it all."

"Grieving? That girl's been gone for days. What good does grieving do now?" Lauren snapped, her frustration evident. "Blaire's death already hurt my hospital's reputation, and I haven't even complained about that—ugh, forget it! She's gone, so there's no point blaming her. But Lucas? He's still hung up on it? What's wrong with him?"

"Lauren, please don't get mad," Claire interjected, hoping to defuse her friend's temper. "Can we just focus on finding Blaine? He might wake up and need help."

Lauren huffed but nodded. "You're right. Let's go."

Unbeknownst to them, Blaine Jackson had already woken up moments before Claire's arrival. His brow furrowed as he opened his eyes, blinking against the stark white light of the hospital room.

What the heck? Did it snow? Why is it so blindingly white?

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes again, trying to gather his thoughts. A question surfaced in his mind: Wasn't I driving? How did I end up lying in bed? Could it be I made it home?

His thoughts churned as he opened his eyes again, this time fully. The sight before him—a hospital room—sent a jolt of realization through him. He was in a hospital, not his bedroom. And the bed beneath him? Definitely a hospital bed.

Pressing a hand to his throbbing forehead, fragments of memory began to return. He remembered crashing into a guardrail, the sharp pain of a wound on his leg, and calling Lauren for help. Then he'd arrived at the hospital to get stitches, and... Damn it! He remembered passing out.

As he processed the situation, Blaine's eyes darkened. Whatever had happened, he wasn't going to like the fallout.