what?”
“Us.”
I almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
“There is no us.”
His face fell.
“Claire.”
“You still don’t understand.”
“I’m trying.”
“No. You’re trying to fix the part that hurts you.”
He said nothing.
I continued.
“You lost Vanessa.”
He flinched.
“You’re losing money.”
His jaw tightened.
“And now you’re standing here because the life you chose collapsed.”
I stepped slightly closer to the doorway.
“But Sophie and I were already gone before any of that happened.”
Derek swallowed.
“I want to see her.”
“That will be handled
