Chapitre 25: Chapter 25

The air in the dimly lit room was stale, heavy with the scent of antiseptic and the unspoken tension that hung between them. Dane's movements were methodical as he rifled through the medicine box, retrieving a roll of gauze bandage and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide solution. Marley watched him, her chest tightening with a medley of apprehension and an inexplicable flutter deep inside her.

"Does it need to be so tight?" she murmured as he began to wind the gauze around her wound.

He didn't answer, his jaw set in concentration. The moment the hydrogen peroxide made contact with the raw edges of her cut, a sharp sting radiated up her arm. Marley winced, sucking in a breath through her teeth. She could feel Dane's gaze on her—the icyness of his eyes—but when she dared to look up, his face was a mask of stoicism.