No Longer Your Substitute

Desmond took two slow steps forward, closing the distance between them. His gaze was locked on the blood-soaked tissue resting in her open palm. He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down his throat. "Can I touch it?" he asked, his voice cracking under the weight of his devastation.

Coralie gave a slight, indifferent nod.

Desmond reached out. His hand shook in the biting winter wind